The Girl Next Door
by Junebugsm
Summary: Stef is in hospital, recovering from being shot when she notices a young brunette in the room next door who never smiles, never has visitors and never takes her eyes off Stef.
1. Chapter 1

**Stef is in hospital, recovering from being shot when she notices a young brunette in the room next door who never smiles, never has visitors and never takes her eyes off Stef.**

(An AU on how Callie comes to live with the Fosters - suggested and requested by meyouthem123.)

* * *

Stef had been lying in that hospital bed for over two weeks now. The fragments of bone were finally all out of her body and all that was left was for her to recover. It had taken three surgeries to repair all the damage and even then the bullet was still inside her - a constant reminder of just how badly things could have ended for her and her twins.

Stef stared at the open door where her family had just left. Visiting hours were over and they all went home. Lena looked so tired and so worn out. Brandon looked like he'd aged at least a couple of years in just a short time. Jesus looked angry and deceived and Mariana looked scared - or terrified was more accurate. But Stef had grown accustomed to all those looks for they had been the same ones ever since she'd been shot three weeks ago.

Stef sighed as her thoughts returned from her family to the scenes outside her hospital room. She watched an elderly man being wheeled in a chair down the hallway, a nurse walking around with a clipboard in her arm moving quickly out of the way when two doctors rush past in a hurry. She saw another doctor talk to a family who look so worried and so scared and she wondered if this was how Lena and the kids looked while she was lying in a bed, fighting for her life. Stef shook her head as she tried to get those thoughts out of her mind and looked for something else to distract her and that's when she spotted the girl in the room across the hall, staring straight at her.

* * *

 _They were all there again_. Callie thought to herself as she watched the blond woman interact with the visitors. The one with curly hair was definitely not just a friend, Callie was sure of that now. They were lovers and by the looks of things it wasn't even a secret. Everyone who'd ever come to visit, and there had been a lot, didn't seem phased by it at all.

The three kids seemed to belong to the two women though Callie wasn't entirely sure if she was right. One boy could belong but the other two were clearly adopted - or maybe, just like her, they were foster kids - Callie thought to herself. She noticed the way both kids always looked very somber and distant. The hugs they gave the blond were guarded and weak and while they all seemed to enjoy each other's company and no one seemed particularly scared - they just didn't seem to fit in as well.

Apart from the four of them who visited every single evening there was also the man who clearly loved the woman in the bed. He'd bring her flowers and sneak her coffee's from Starbucks, he'd sit with her and the two would laugh and joke until the woman would hold her side in pain. Maybe _he_ was the friend. Callie thought, since the curly haired one certainly wasn't.

There was the older couple who came less rarely - a black woman and a white man. They were definitely together for they came holding hands and occasionally came with the curly haired woman and the children so they were probably her parents.

There were an assortment of others who came once or maybe twice and not again, stayed for a few minutes and then left. They were just the visitors, they were clearly not family.

Then there was also the mother - the red-head who fussed and foostered to the point of actually making the blond cringe. Callie liked to see them together - to have a mother that cared enough to do things even when you didn't want it, who would make sure you had what you needed even when you didn't ask for it, to just be there for you no matter how old you were. Callie liked to pretend that it was her lying in that bed being fussed over by the woman, brought jello cups and ice chips and handed _Harlequin Romance_ books that made her turn an amusing shade of red like it did to the blond. But unfortunately for her that wasn't the case. Her mother was dead and there was no one for her.

There was also no dad, Callie observed. So in one way maybe they were alike. Maybe they both knew loss and in a small way that thought made Callie feel closer to the woman who was obviously so loved - the woman who would have been missed should she not have survived whatever had caused her to be in here in the first place, the woman who meant something to someone.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next few days Stef began to observe the girl just like the girl seemed to be observing her. There was a cast on her right arm and a metal brace strapped to her right leg. Her cheekbone also seemed to have broken but was healing now - a slight swelling and discoloration was all that was left. A row of fading stitch marks indicated that her head had had a huge three inch gash as well.

It was apparent to Stef that the teen had been attacked. What Stef didn't know what whether it was intentional or just a case of wrong place at the wrong time. However Stef was beginning to believe that this was no accident for over the four or five days she'd been watching the girl she noticed that she never had any visitors, never really talked to anyone, didn't smile at the doctors or nurses and didn't really react much when they interacted with her. The young girl who couldn't be more than about fifteen or sixteen looked like she didn't have much to look forward to in life.

As Stef watched the brunette she wondered who she was. Did she have a family? Was it someone in her family that did this to her? Did anyone know she was here? Somehow Stef had the feeling that there was no one for the girl didn't even seemed to expect or hope for a visitor. Stef couldn't even imagine what life must be like for a girl like her - to be so young and so alone, in so much pain and still so strong, to never smile or even have a reason for it. Thinking these things she was so grateful that she'd gotten a hold of her twins while they were still so young. She often, especially when faced with a depressing incident at work, wondered what her children would have become had they not found each other. It made her realize all the more that their decision to have Mariana stay a little longer for a talk was definitely the right one.

"Why?" Mariana asked a little bit later. "Why am I the only one staying."

"Just to talk." Stef said gently before teasing her a little. "Talking to me isn't that bad is it?" She questioned.

But she got nothing but a blank, somewhat nervous look from her daughter.

"Honey, I just want to talk, that's all." Stef reassured. "We haven't really had a chance."

"I'm just going to drive the boys home and then come get you okay." Lena added. "I won't be more than twenty minutes."

"Fine." Mariana said, though she sounded less than thrilled.

With a reassuring smile Lena ushered the two boys out of the room to take them home. Over the last three weeks she'd come to understand a lot about her three children. Brandon, who'd always been the confident one had started to believe that nothing bad would ever happen to his family. Yes, he knew that the twins had come from a less than perfect family and suffered in a few foster homes as well but he believed that now that they were a part of his family, everything would be fine. Having his mom shot was definitely a huge blow to him. Jesus, though would often get a little wild had a strong protective streak about him. When the twins had first come to live with them this was clearly seen in the way he looked after his sister however Lena was beginning to realize that this wasn't just for Mariana - he would go out of his way for anyone in need. Mariana was the one that was worrying the two moms right now. She had gone from the confident, outgoing girl back to the insecure, timid child that had first entered their home and Lena was sure she had something to do with that. She'd been so angry with the twins for their part in Stef being shot that she forgot her children needed her just as much as her wife did, if not more. Since then she'd realized her mistake and understood the reason behind her kids' need to help their birth mother but the damage had been done and now it was Stef's turn to try and fix it.

* * *

"You know I love you, don't you?" Stef asked as she shifted a little in bed, making room for Mariana. "You know that none of this changes how much I love you." She added.

Mariana nodded, taking a tentative step closer to her mother.

"Come sit love." Stef invited gently. "Let me hold you for a bit."

Mariana did as she was asked though she sat rather rigidly on the bed and Stef wondered if it was from being afraid or just caution so as not to hurt Stef.

"My love, what happened wasn't your fault." Stef began as she pulled Mariana a little closer, ignoring the pain in her abdomen. "It was just an unfortunate series of events. No one thing led to this."

"I got in touch with Ana." Mariana mumbled, knowing that it was the one thing that started it all.

"You would have been in touch with her anyway. Mama was working on that." Stef pointed out.

Mariana remained silent because it was true. If she'd just waited and done it the way she was supposed to then maybe she could have avoided all this.

"We do understand why you wanted to know Ana and why you wanted to do it alone and we definitely understand why you wanted to help her." Stef assured as she combed her fingers though her daughter's hair. "We don't fault you for that one bit baby. The only thing I wish was that you felt like you could come to us sooner. I wish you didn't feel so bad about wanting to know your birth mom. It's okay to want to know, we don't mind."

A soft sob escaped Mariana's lips as she finally leaned in and relaxed against Stef, tears beginning to flow freely as a huge weight was slowly being lifted off her shoulders.

"I am proud of you for coming to us when Jesus wasn't answering his phone." Stef added, showing her that she is capable of making the right decisions. "I should have thought through the rest. That is not on you. I am a tried cop and I should have worn a vest and called for back up before going into that house. I knew better and my getting shot is not at all your fault."

Mariana nodded in acceptance and while it could be argued that it was because it was her own child in that house she hadn't been thinking straight but Mariana desperately needed the excuse and so she accepted it.

"I'm sorry." Mariana said, still feeling the guilt even though she knew her moms still loved her and that everything was going to be okay. "I'm just sorry it happened at all, whoever's fault it is."

"I know you are sweetheart, and so are we." Stef said. "I'm sorry I didn't think things though better and I know mama's sorry she was upset with you. She was scared and she wasn't thinking straight."

"I don't blame her." Mariana admitted. "I hated myself. I have two amazing moms and I ruined it."

"You didn't ruin anything." Stef said firmly. "We all made mistakes, the blame isn't all on you."

"I..." Mariana tried to word what she wanted to say. "I just hope you know, I hope it's clear that I'd pick you, over Ana any day." She finally said. "I wanted to know her but you're my moms and if I had to choose I'd pick you."

Stef smiled as she pulled her daughter in tighter, tears in both their eyes. Her side ached where her surgeries had been but she ignored it, unwilling to loosen her hold on the girl. She needed this just as much as Mariana and it had been three weeks overdue.

"I love you sweetheart, and I'll be home really soon." Stef said as she kissed Mariana on the head. "Don't you ever forget it."

"I love you too." Mariana smiled just as the door opened as Lena came back in.

"There's a smile I've missed lately." Lena said as she watched the two in the bed together. "We all good here?" She asked, though the scene in front of her gave her the answer already.

"Just fine." Stef assured as she planted another kiss on her daughter's head.

* * *

Stef watched as Lena and Mariana left, feeling so much better now that she'd had a chance to really talk to her daughter and clear some things up. Slowly, but surly, their family was picking up the pieces and they were falling back into place. In another week or two everything will go back to normal and Stef hoped to never see the inside of this hospital ever again.

It was then that Stef suddenly remembered the girl in the room across and she quickly glanced across to see what she was up to to once again find the her looking back. Only this time, instead of the blank stare she usually got Stef saw surprise and utter disbelief in the young girl's face.

* * *

Callie watched as the other mom took the two boys but left the nervous looking girl behind. It was obvious that the girl didn't want to be there. She was scared and uncomfortable and Callie wondered what would happen to her. She had obviously done something because no one looked that guilty for no reason and she'd come to the conclusion that whatever it was was what lead the blond in the hospital.

Callie observed as the woman called the child closer and she'd expected a lecture, maybe a yelling but instead she saw the woman painfully move over to make room on the narrow bed. She watched as the woman held the girl who cried and hugged her and comforted her. There didn't seem to be consequences, no yelling no hitting, not even a glance up to make sure no one was watching. It was honest and real and it ended with a hug and a smile. Whatever the girl had done - she was obviously forgiven. In that moment Callie began to dream what it would be like to be a child in that family.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey." Stef poked her head into the girl's room the next afternoon. She was walking up and down the hallway as part of her physiotherapy and decided to take a chance and talk to the girl that was staring at what seemed to be the faded pistachio green curtain.

Callie head snapped to the door completely startled. "Hi." She said nervously, wondering why the woman was at her door. Sure she'd been caught staring at her a few times but she never expected this to happen.

"May I come in?" Stef asked kindly, acutely aware that the girl seemed somewhat nervous if not frightened.

Callie nodded slightly, never taking her eyes off the blond, unsure of what was happening. She'd been in this room for three weeks now and so far no one besides the nurses and doctors had ever entered and even they didn't do small talk.

"I'm Stef." Stef introduced herself as she carefully took a seat in the chair beside Callie's bed.

Callie remained silent, still too shocked to respond until Stef raised an eyebrow, waiting for the girl to introduce herself. "Callie." Callie answered, still a little bewildered at what was happening.

"Jelly Beans." Stef held out an open packet of the candy, hoping the treat would loosen the girl up a little and bring a smile to her face.

Callie looked at the packet Stef was holding and then back up at the woman. Stef believed she was judging her next move or maybe she was asking for permission but either way Stef encouraged her to go ahead. "Personally I like the caramel apple but my daughter swears by the toasted marshmallow ." Stef said, hoping to entice the girl with some flavors.

But Callie still didn't budge. She just stared at the woman, as though she was offering Callie a piece of raw meat or a glass of floor cleaner instead of some candy.

"So my daughter and I have this game." Stef continued, ignoring the awkward silence in the room. "We give each other a jelly bean without telling them what color it is and then we have to figure out what flavor it is." Stef explained as she began rummaging through the packet for the one she wanted to give the girl since Callie was obviously not going to take anything on her own. "Okay open your hand and put it straight into your mouth." Stef instructed.

Callie looked back down at Stef's hand before slowly reaching out and taking the bean, popping it into her mouth without looking at it.

"Which flavor was it?" Stef asked curiously after a few moments, hoping to engage the girl in the game.

"I don't know." Callie answered nervously, moving the candy around in her mouth to try and figure it out. "Sorry." She felt the need to apologize."

"It takes practice." Stef assured. "Here, you give me one, I've become somewhat of a pro." She said proudly as she handed the packet over and noticed just a small smirk on Callie's face.

Much to Stef's surprise Callie rummaged though the packet and finally picked out one bean making sure that Stef couldn't see it before handing it over.

Stef smiled happily as she took it and stuck it in her mouth and then made a rather big deal of trying to figure out the flavor. "Let's see..." She said to herself as she slowly, methodically chewed the piece of candy. "I definitely detect cherry." She said, more to herself than to the girl in the bed in front of her. "Lime?" She asked herself, making a few quizzical faces as she racked her mind for the answer she was looking for. "No, she answered herself. Oh Cherry Melon." She said with a smile as she looked to Callie for confirmation.

"I have absolutely no idea." Callie admitted with a grin that made the dreary green room look suddenly bright and sunny.

"What?" Stef asked in disappointment. "Which color was it?" She questioned.

"A red one." Callie answered with a shrug.

"There are like five shades of red in there." Stef said, taking the bag back from Callie. "Which one."

"I don't know." Callie answered, actually laughing out loud now. "I just picked one." She answered honestly.

"Well your turn again, try another one." Stef suggested as she held out a bean to Callie one more time.

Callie took the next jelly bean and tried again. This time she paid more attention right from the start, trying to figure out the flavor.

"Well?" Stef asked with a smile, waiting for the verdict.

"Orange?" Callie asked without really knowing.

"Maybe." Stef shrugged. "But what else. They all have at least two flavors mixed." She answered.

Callie chewed for a while longer before raising her eyebrows up at Stef, letting her know that she couldn't find the second flavor.

"Oh c'mon, try and figure it out." Stef encouraged, so happy to see the girl smile for a change. "It's really easy once you get the hang of it."

"I'm sorry, I don't know." Callie said, beginning to laugh at the disappointment on Stef's face. "There are too many things mixed together."

"You sound just like Lena." Stef grumbled even though she knew that Callie had no idea who Lena was. "She never likes to play."

"I'm sorry." Callie said again though the smile never left her face. "Maybe I'll get better with time." She laughed. But suddenly her smile faded leaving Stef to wondered what had happened to change the girl's mood so quickly. "I mean, just... If I had as much experience as you." She corrected, realizing that she'd basically invited herself to half of Stef's candy.

Stef couldn't help but smile sadly at the girl. Obviously she didn't even feel like she was worth a bag of candy and Stef had to force herself not to just reach out and hug her. It was just the first day and it had gotten off to a good start and she definitely didn't want to ruin it.

"Here." She said, handing Callie the bag back. "You keep practicing, I better continue my walk before Lieutenant Lucy has me hanged." Stef teased as she saw the nurse in question walk in to check on Callie.

As Stef left the door she noticed a spark in Lucy's eye and the nurse mouthed a quick thank you to the woman who, in just fifteen minutes, had managed to make the girl smile. Stef smiled back at Lucy and then with a wink to Callie she was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

"You just might be a pro at this." Stef said amazed just two days later when Callie was able to decipher almost every bean she'd had. "If there's a jelly bean guessing contest, you'd win hands down." She praised.

Callie beamed in delight as her eyes sparkled at the praise. Besides the doctors and nurses who'd give her pitying and sympathetic looks, no one ever truly praised her for anything, even if it was something so small and insignificant.

"Not much else to do here but practice." Callie commented shyly. With her leg still being held in place with the brace she wasn't allowed out of bed, not that she had anywhere to go.

"Tell me about it." Stef agreed. "I am definitely not one to sit around in bed and do nothing all day. Being shot wasn't half as bad as staring at the damn ceiling all day long."

"Shot?" Callie asked in surprise. Though the two had been talking for a couple of days now but neither had ever talked about their personal lives or what put them in the hospital to begin with.

"Um-hum." Stef nodded, her mind wandering back to that fateful night. "Wrong place, wrong time, right reason." Stef commented, having come to terms with what happened.

"Who shot you?" Callie asked. She was curious for she had never imagined something bad like that happening to the woman whom she believed had a fantasy life. Things like that were only reserved for people like her.

"My adopted kids' birth mom's boyfriend." Stef said, making a goofy face at just how ludicrous that sounded.

"Wow." Callie said, agreeing that it was definitely a unique situation. "Because you adopted them?" She asked, even more curious now that she knew that the boy and girl were adopted.

"No." Stef took a deep breath as she prepared herself to explain. So far she had never actually told anyone about what happened that night. There was no one to tell for by the time Sharon, Dana and Stewart came down, Lena had already filled them in along with anyone else who asked.

"My daughter wanted to get to know their birth mom but she's a drug addict and she was taking money from her claiming she needed it for rehab. My son felt bad for her and tried to help her out. When Mariana couldn't get in touch with him we thought he was in her house and I panicked and I went in there but I wasn't ready for whatever I would find and her boyfriend shot me."

"Wow." Callie said again, unsure of what else to say for she never dreamed of having a family, let alone an adoptive one that would literally risk their lives for her.

"Yup." Stef agreed, it sounded pretty dramatic even to her.

"So where was your son?" Callie asked. The more she learned the more she wanted to know. This entire family fascinated her beyond belief and through the stories she began to feel like a part of them.

"He had taken Ana down to the women's shelter." Stef explained with a sad smile.

Callie looked away, thinking about everything she'd just learned about the woman sitting beside her. She would understand why Stef went into that house because if it had been Jude then she would have done the very same thing but what she couldn't quite understand was how these two adopted kids had obviously been forgiven and were still loved even after all this.

"Weren't you angry with them?" Callie asked cautiously, afraid she might be overstepping.

"Not really." Stef answered. "I mean, I was upset they did all this behind our backs and put themselves in danger but they didn't pull the trigger or ask for any of it really." Stef answered. "They're just kids and they're curious about where they came from." She explained.

"Lucky." Callie mumbled. "There aren't many parents like you." She smiled sadly.

Stef studied the girl for a moment realizing that maybe this story had hit a little closer to home that Callie was letting on. She wondered about the girl and her injuries but wasn't sure she was ready to tell her story just yet.

"Things happen." Stef shrugged. "You do what you can for those you love." She smiled at the teen.

An easy silence settled over them as the bag with the last of the jelly beans was past back and forth between the two.

* * *

"There's just something about her that really gets to me." Stef said to Lena that evening when it was just the two of them. The kids had already come and gone but Lena had stayed behind for it wasn't often that the two of them got any time alone.

"Didn't she say anything?" Lena asked, now just as curious about the girl as Stef had been.

"No." Stef ansered. "I didn't ask. Somehow she doesn't seem like she's ready to talk about it."

"She looks pretty bad." Lena commented. She'd taken a few glances at the girl and seen the same things that Stef had and it made her cringe to think of what had put that many injuries on a kid.

"Lucy said she was attacked with a baseball bat." Stef explained what she knew from the nurse. The detail were unknown to everyone.

"Bat?" Lena questioned in disgust. "My god." She exclaimed.

"Those Jelly Beans seemed to really do the trick." Stef said, smiling at how carefree and childlike Callie seemed in those few moments. "Ask Mike to sneak me in something else please. She could really do with another treat."

"Of course." Lena said, well aware of the fact that the man brought her wife all the things that she should keep eating.

"How are things really going at home? How are the kids?" Stef asked, changing the topic. She saw the kids every day and was filled in on their activities but even she knew that under the surface all the emotions and the stress were bubbling and it was just a matter of time before it all boiled over.

It was now Lena's turn to figure out what to say and do. Things were okay but at the same time they weren't. Nothing was the same without Stef. Brandon, much like Lena had, was having a hard time understanding why the twins would do something like this. Jesus couldn't believe that Ana would trick and manipulate them like this and Mariana, though more secure, was still struggling to make up for her mistakes.

"They miss you." Lena answered honestly. "We all do. It's been hard but now that you're better they're getting back to normal. Brandon is pretty mad at the twins and I've heard him refer to you as his mom a few times. I don't think he quite gets why the twins wanted to know Ana."

"He's never not known about his family." Stef agreed, knowing that it would take a while before everything settled back to normal.

"Jesus is more upset that Ana would use them like she had." Lena told her soon-to-be wife. "I don't think he was really interested in her as his birth mother but just as someone they had gone out of their way to help."

"He wasn't ever really interested in getting to know her at all." Stef recalled. "That was Mariana."

"And I think that's what is eating her the most." Lena answered. "She wanted to know Ana who only wanted money from her and she already had us but you nearly died because of all this."

"We talked." Stef reminded Lena. "She'll be okay."

"She's already doing a little better." Lena assured her wife. "She's back to complaining about the how they treat the cows and the pigs and the chickens before we sit down to dinner."

Stef and Lena shared a grateful smile as they thought about their daughter. Lena had mentioned earlier how Mariana no longer complained about anything since Stef was shot. She ate whatever was on the table, finished up in the bathroom in less than ten minutes and never even mentioned a new pair of shoes. Slowly, but surely, their daughter was coming back to them and Stef and Lena were confidant that with time, love and assurance their family would once again to back to normal.

In the silence Stef found herself wondering if Callie also had loving parents to help her through once she got out of this place.


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, so, I was thinking that today maybe you and I could talk our way into something better than those awful jello cups." Stef said as she and Callie sat playing some card game Callie had taught her. Stef's room had a stock of cards, small board games and even a gameboy curtesy of her kids and she was using them all to keep Callie occupied.

"They're not that bad." Callie said as she put down a jack and picked up a small stack of cards.

"They weren't that bad twenty days go, today they're just plain disgusting." Stef corrected as she randomly threw down a card not sure if she was doing it right.

"Well what do we do?" Callie questioned, looking up at Stef with a raised eyebrow. "All they have are the jello and pudding cups."

"A little smile, a wink and a bit of flirting." Stef said with a big grin.

"I don't think Lucy's into girls." Callie laughed, completely comfortable with Stef being gay.

"Who's talking about Lucy?" Stef teased. "I meant Mike. He's coming over this evening and he knows this bakery that makes the best banana bread and caramel lattes."

"Isn't he your ex-husband?" Callie questioned, still totally fascinated by the dynamics of this family.

"He is." Stef's eyes went wide but the smirk never left her face. "But considering I'm in here, I don't think Lena would mind."

Callie grinned and quickly nodded in agreement. She'd been smiling a lot in the last week and laughing too - things she hadn't really done in a long time.

"Aren't your kids coming today?" Callie questioned as she got back to the game.

"No, The twins have a friend's birthday to go to and Brandon has a performance coming up so he's busy practicing the piano." Stef explained.

"Wow." Callie said in surprise. "Is he any good?" She asked.

Stef laughed as she nodded. "Very." She said. "And not just because I'm his mother." She assured. "He actually recently won a competition for five-thousand dollars." She said proudly.

"Okay wow." Callie said, impressed. "I'd be lucky if I got paid just five bucks to play something." She added with a laugh.

"You play?" Stef questioned curiously.

Callie's face instantly lost it's smile as the memory of playing the guitar with her mother came back. "I used to play the guitar." She said. "My mom was teaching me."

Stef knew the dynamics had changed but for some reason she felt that this time maybe Callie would be ready to open up a bit more about her life. They had, after all, become friends and Stef had answered endless questions about herself and her family, making her seem less of a stranger to the teen.

"Was?" She asked softly.

Callie took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the questions that were bound to come. "She died when I was ten." She explained, the pain still intense as she said the words.

"I'm sorry honey." Stef said sympathetically. "That really sucks."

"Yup" Callie agreed wholeheartedly. She couldn't imagine there was anything that sucked more.

"How?" Stef questioned. She could see the pain in the girl's eyes and she had the feeling that Callie never really got a chance to talk about what had happened or come to terms with it.

"Drunk driver." Callie answered, trying hard to show that it didn't hurt as much as it did.

"Oh, I hate them." Stef agreed, having seen accidents like that more times than she could count in her years on the force.

"Me too." Callie mumbled. "Never thought I could hate my own father so much." She said, admitting to Stef that it was he who was at fault.

Stef looked sadly at Callie as she began to realize the impact on what life had thrown her way. "What happened after that?" She questioned.

Callie smiled sadly. The time had come for her to share her story, only she really didn't want to tell Stef. Not because she didn't trust her or because she was afraid but simply because she didn't want to change this simple friendship - once Stef knew the truth Callie was sure she'd never look at her the same again.


	6. Chapter 6

"My brother Jude and I were sent to our first foster home." Callie began to tell her everything that had happened since then. For the first time in a long time she felt free enough to tell her story. Somehow she felt safe here, like within the walls of the hospital she was frozen in time and nothing she said would matter once she was out again. Besides, Stef was just another patient - just as bored, just as desperate for entertainment and just as insignificant as she herself was.

"So he just beat him up so bad and I couldn't stop him." Callie sobbed as Stef sat on the chair by the bed and while she talked, finally letting go of everything she'd been holding in for so long. "Just for wearing a stupid dress." Callie shook her head in disbelief. She then wiped away her tears and went on. "Anyway, I couldn't stop him so I picked up his baseball bat and I was gonna go out and trash this car he loved so much but he got to me first and beat me with it." She admitted as her body continued do shake with the aftershocks of having cried so much.

There was silence in the room as the two just cried. Both of them thinking about everything that Callie had just said. Stef was furious and in all honestly a little shocked. She couldn't believe the type of people that were given fostering licenses. She shuddered involuntarily as she pictured her twins in a home like that. Luckily for them the worst they'd had to endure was a bit of rough talk and neglect but no one had ever laid a hand on either of them and for that Stef was tremendously thankful.

"He shattered my knee, broke my arm in three places, cracked two ribs and split my head open." Callie listed the damages with an eerie lack of emotion. "Oh and I lost a tooth too." She added, pointing to the damaged cheek.

"Why didn't you just call the cops honey?" Stef asked, wondering why Callie felt the need to take this all on by herself.

Callie actually laughed in disbelief at that. "The cops?" She questioned in amusement. "The only thing the cops are good for, is clearing a lane of traffic." She said as she looked at Stef and saw the confusion on her face. She shook her head as she realized that people like Stef lived in a different world and they didn't even know half of what the real world held.

"The first time I called the cops was in my fourth foster home." Callie began to explain. "My foster mother had locked us in a room for over twenty-four hours because we came home from school one day and told her we were hungry. I called the cops and they came and my foster father paid them to just pretend everything was fine."

Stef groaned inwardly as she wondered which cops had been so easily swayed and why they became cops in the first place if all they wanted to do was hurt people.

"The second time I called the cops was when a foster brother raped me." Callie continued. "The cops came and my foster parents said I was a problem child and I was trying to seduce their son who wasn't interested in me which was why I made up the whole story. Two days later we were taken out of the home and I was labeled a sex risk." Callie looked at Stef, daring her to suggest calling the cops again. "I never called the cops after that. I knew better."

Stef didn't know what to say and she wasn't sure what to do and so she gave in to the one thing she wanted to do most - she moved onto the bed and pulled Callie close to her, giving her the fiercest hug she could manage without actually hurting the girl. Right now, in this moment, Stef wanted nothing more than to hold her forever and never let her go. She'd give anything to take away her pain and give her the life she deserved but unfortunately it wasn't that easy and they didn't have the room. But what she could do was make sure that the next place that Callie went was safe and she'd personally check it out before she allowed anyone to send her there.

* * *

"So she hasn't seen him since?" Lena questioned the next day when Stef told her what she'd learned about Callie.

"No." Stef answered. "She doesn't even know if he's been removed from that house or not." She said miserably. "Mike's trying to track him down." She admitted, knowing that her wife wasn't too thrilled about their recent partnership.

"Poor kids." Lena said, shaking her head slightly. She couldn't understand how life could be so cruel. "Where does she go when she get's out?"

"She doesn't know but wherever it is I'm going to have it thoroughly checked out." Stef admitted.

"Does she know who you are?" Lena asked, suddenly realizing that it was surprising that this girl had opened up so much to a cop considering everything she'd been through.

Stef looked up guilty at Lena as she slowly shook her head. "I can't." Stef admitted. "She'd never accept that and I won't be able to help her anymore."

"I just hope we really can help her." Lena said, knowing just how easily kids like Callie and her brother got lost in the system. "God, I wouldn't even know where to begin." She admitted.

"We begin with finding Jude." Stef said.


	7. Chapter 7

_Callie ran as fast as she could but Greg Wilson, her first foster father was gaining on her and just as she was turning a corner and about to lose him Jim Pearson, her most recent foster father, rammed that bat straight into her knee, knocking her to the ground. It took a few moments for Callie to overcome her shock and look around to find the two of them plus all the foster parents and siblings in-between walking towards her in an almost zombie-like fashion. They had wicked smiles on their faces and malicious glints in their eyes as they came closer and closer. Callie tried to get up but her leg was just too damaged; she screamed but there was no one around to listen. The mob of torturers were just a few steps away now and Callie just couldn't catch her breath for she was panicking and shaking too hard. There was nothing she could do and as she watched Liam Olmsted reach out to touch her she thrashed and fought with everything she had but it did nothing to help for the hand still caught hold of her shoulder while another set of arms grabbed her legs and yet a third tangled in her hair._

"Callie, honey wake up." Stef tried again as she gently stroked Callie's hair, trying desperately to sooth her. "It's just a dream baby, you're okay, just open your eyes." She spoke gently but firmly, desperate to get through to the sleeping teen.

"I think we need the doctor, she's moving her leg too much." Lucy said as she tried desperately to keep Callie's shattered leg still. "She could cause too much damage."

"What do we do?" Stef asked in panic, wondering how they were going to get the girl to wake up. They'd already turned on the lights and shaken her and even practically yelled into her ears but she still just tossed and shook them off, begging them to just leave her alone.

"Hit the red button on the wall there." Lucy said as she used almost her entire weight to keep Callie's leg still.

Stef did as she was told and instantly the hall was flooded with an earsplitting shriek as sirens went off and a couple of other nurses and the on-call doctor rushed into the room. But Stef wasn't grateful for any of that. All she was thankful for was that the noise had finally woken Callie who was now sitting up in bed, terrified and confused as she looked around at all the activity around her. Sweat made her hair and clothes was stuck to her face and body and she was basically rasping for breath as her eyes darted around for something calming, something familiar, something reassuring for though there were now five doctors and nurses surrounding the girl, not one of them was actually paying attention to her - they were focused on her leg, her arm and her heart but she was completely ignored.

"Hey sweetie, it's okay." Stef said as she edged her way to the head of the bed so Callie could see her clearly. "You're going to be just fine, it was just a bad dream, you're safe." She said soothingly as she tried to keep out of the way but still remain in sight.

Callie wanted nothing more than for everyone to just leave her alone but she knew that was out of the question for even she could feel the throbbing pain radiate through her leg as the doctors tried to realign the leg and clamp it back into place. Through all this she gritted her teeth and kept her body ridged and still. She listened to the instructions they gave her and nodded at all the appropriate places but her eyes never left Stef as she practically begged the woman to get her out of his misery.

* * *

"Do you want to talk about it?" Stef asked softly as she gently played with the ends of Callie's hair. It was now two hours after they had first heard Callie scream and all the doctor and nurses were gone. Stef stayed with Callie and the two of them were lying on two beds that the nurses had pushed together.

Callie shook her head as it rested on Stef's shoulder. She didn't want to ever talk about it again for that's what had resulted in this horrible ordeal to begin with. She couldn't decide what was worse - the pain in her leg or the nightmare that had started it all. As Callie thought about it she realized she'd take the physical pain any day. They had given her something to help her sleep and it was making her drowsy but she was just too afraid to close her eyes for she was terrified of what was waiting for her on the other side.

"Don't fight it love." Stef said gently as she watched Callie fight to stay awake for the fourth time. "I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere." She promised.

Callie still didn't respond as she stayed in her spot close to Stef and continued to stare at the metal frame holding her leg together. She knew the drowsiness would eventually win but she was going to try as hard as ever to avoid that nightmare again.

"I'm scared." She admitted with a whisper, surprising even herself at the honesty. She'd never allowed anyone to see her this vulnerable but somehow this woman just made her feel safe. She wasn't sure what it was - maybe it was the fact that Stef was also lying here, injured and somewhat fragile or maybe it was because she'd watched the woman with her own kids and craved for that kind of love and affection or most likely it was because this was just a temporary situation and eventually Stef would go back to her family and Callie would go back to her dreary existence.


	8. Chapter 8

"If you'd have seen her Lena." Stef said the next morning. It was Saturday and Lena had come early with Brandon and the two of them had sent Brandon to the store on the first floor for some candy and chocolate. "And there was absolutely no one there for her." Stef said as tears filled her eyes.

"You were there for her." Lena reminded her wife, hoping to bring her some comfort as she hold on to her hand.

The two turned to gaze through the open doorway of the girl's room to find her still sleeping peacefully. Luckily the drugs had knocked her out and she'd had a dream-free sleep. She'd been woken early for the orthopedic doctor needed to check on her leg but after the check and a breakfast that she was practically forced to have, she'd fallen asleep again and had stayed that way for the next three hours.

"Yes, but, it's not the same." Stef said dejectedly. "There was no one she could count on." She began to explain. "No one she expected. And I was there last night but what about the last six years since her mother died and what about all the years to come?" Once again Stef glanced at the sleeping girl, wanting desperately to go back and hold her like she'd done half of last night. "The worst part is that she wasn't just having nightmares; she was having flashbacks." Stef said, a few tears finally spilling over. "She actually lived through all of that Lena. It wasn't just a bad dream, it was reality."

"Well, a bit of good news." Lena said, hoping to cheer her wife up a bit. "Mike traced down Callie's social worker and you're never going to believe who it is." She said with a smile.

Stef looked at her wife, not even attempting to guess as she waited for the answer.

"Bill." Lena said, smiling wider. "Anyway, I got in touch with him and he told me that Jude has been placed in a group home." Lena explained, pausing for she knew the next part wasn't exactly the best news. "He's been labeled homosexual and now they couldn't find him a foster home." She admitted sadly.

"God, they never catch a break do they?" Stef mumbled, more to herself than Lena for she knew that her wife didn't have an answer.

"I also asked Bill why Jude hadn't been brought to visit Callie in the last month that she's been here and he said the group home has very strict rules." Lena continued. "The kids all have some problem or the other so no one is allowed to leave for anything except when they are released or family member's funerals."

"Funerals?" Stef said in anger. "So he can see his sister if she dies but not while she's alive. And what do they mean released? He's in a home not juvie." She was livid with what she was hearing and if she could get out of this damn hospital she'd be running around creating hell for whoever made up these stupid rules. "And what about Bill?" She suddenly went on a tangent. "Why the hell hasn't he been here in the last so many weeks?" She questioned, once again knowing that Lena didn't have the answer. "Granted, I've only really gotten to know Callie for a little over a week but he hasn't come even once in that much time." She stated.

The two of them just sat silently as they accepted all they had learnt. Bill was probably extremely busy and they knew from experience that he was one of the good social workers who genuinely cared for his charges. He was probably too swamped with kids out there and left Callie in the capable hands of the doctors.

"At least we've found Jude." Lena offered. "Maybe we can find a way to bring him for a visit."

"Bring who?" Brandon asked as she came back just in time to hear the end of his mother's sentence.

"No one." Both mother's said at the same time, knowing that their current conversation would have to be put on hold for a while.

"Where are the twins anyway?" Stef asked, wondering why her other two children didn't join in on this visit.

The awkward pause that followed Stef's question made her worry just slightly. "Lena." She said, prompting the woman for an answer.

"They had stuff to do." Lena said, giving Stef a rather weak excuse. "They'll come in the evening with me." She assured.

Stef glanced between Lena and Brandon and noticed the tension running between them. The movements were subtle but she also noticed the way Brandon's jaw clenched and his hand was in a tight fist.

"What's going on?" Stef asked, realizing that something was wrong and they weren't telling her about it.

"Nothing." Lena and Brandon answered together and Stef shook her head, refusing to accept that answer.

"Lena, where are the twins?" She asked again, needing to know the truth.

"Brandon's been having a hard time forgiving the twins for what happened." Lena admitted.

"Don't say it like that." Brandon snapped in anger at the way Lena had made him sound. "They didn't just break my keyboard or ruin some music, they nearly killed my mother." He said, as his jaw trembled slightly at the thought.

"Brandon!" Stef scolded, though with a hint of sympathy. She understood that her son was upset but she still couldn't have her kids treat each other as anything less than family.

"No, you can't do that." Brandon stopped her. "You nearly died. We took them in and they nearly took my mom away from me." The boy said as he began to cry harder than he had in a long time.

"Come here baby." Stef said as she scooted over on her bed to make room for her son. "Come give me a hug." She encouraged again.

Within seconds Brandon was in his mother's arms as he wept into her shoulder. "It was an accident baby." Stef reminded him gently. "They didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Why would they want anything to do with her?" Brandon asked in disbelief, knowing all that the woman had done to them while they were still in her care.

"You don't understand honey." Stef explained for she didn't know yet that her son knew about his father's drinking. If she did, she would have explained to him that just like he cared for and wanted to spend time with Mike despite his often drunken state, the twins wanted to know their mother despite her mistakes. "But she is also their family. She is also their mom."

"Well, you're my mom." Brandon said, still struggling to grasp the fact that he had almost lost her.

"I am." Stef agreed. "But I'm also their mom and I'm here and I'm fine." She reminded him. "And most importantly I love you all so very much and nothing, not even death, can change that."

Lena had watched and waited while the two had their moment. She could understand what her oldest son was going through for even she couldn't quite grasp why her twins would let things go this far. It had taken her a bit of time to forgive enough to even listen to their reasons and once she had, she understood.

"Honey, this woman was supposed to be the person they trusted most just like you trust mom." Lena explained. "She let them down and they needed to understand why. They needed to hang on to the last bit of their mother that they had left."

Brandon nodded slightly as he continued to cling to his mother as though he were six years old again instead of sixteen. He could understand that and eventually he would forgive too but he was definitely grateful that he didn't have to experience live without a parent like they had.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Just wanted to point somethings out - without Callie and Jude being a part of this family already, a few details from the show changed.

Brandon never followed Callie to Tijuana and therefore he made it to his audition and won which is why Stef told Callie had he won a $5000 scholarship (which we know from the first episode is the price money).

Stef, Lena and Mike never fight over Brandon's punishment for following Callie (since he obviously didn't follow her) and so he never nearly went to live with Mike.

Mariana never went to Wyatt's party since Callie wasn't there to introduce them. So she never got drunk or ratted out Jesus and Lexi's relationship so Lexi didn't move.

Callie also wasn't around for Kelsey to blame the pills on so she blamed Mariana and as punishment Mariana never had a Quinceanera.

Callie also wasn't around to help Brandon understand what the twins might have been thinking or feeling when they went behind Stef and Lena's backs to meet Ana and so Brandon is still angry with them.


	9. Chapter 9

"It'll work, I promise." Callie giggled as she watched Stef frown.

"How come I have to do the dirty work?" Stef asked, looking awfully skeptical about their plan.

"Isn't it obvious?" Callie asked as she pointed to her injured leg. "I haven't been out of bed in a month, you really think going on secret mission is an option?"

Stef huffed in resignation but agreed. "Alright." She said. "But you make sure that Lucy stays here with you. I don't want to get into trouble." She warned in an almost childlike fashion.

"Promise." Callie said with a triumphant grin. "I'll even play dead if I have to." She assured.

Stef laughed and shook her head as she got up from the chair to fulfill her end of the bargain. Without really thinking about it she leaned in and gave Callie a quick kiss on the head. "Make it look believable." She ordered with a wink before heading out the door on her quest.

What Callie didn't know was that Lucy was already in on the plan as well. Callie had never had Dove chocolate before in her life - that is until Brandon had bought bag for Stef when he was sent down to the gift shop and she'd shared it with the girl. Now they had become her favorite treat and she talked about it nonstop. Stef had planned to have someone bring her a couple more bags but then she had a better idea - she'd go get it herself and she'd make a game of it too. She's spoken to Lucy about it and begrudgingly gotten the nurse's permission and then slyly planted the idea into Callie's head. Now, Callie was ready to put it into action. She was going to pretend to need Lucy for a bit while Stef _snuck_ past the nurses station towards the elevators where she'd go down and buy the chocolate before coming back up to her room. All this had to be done without anyone noticing her.

Callie pressed the call button and quickly put her hand over her mouth pretending to feel nauseous. "The biggest bar they have." She quickly instructed Stef just before Lucy walked in the door.

Stef smiled at the easy way that Callie asked for something, not even thinking twice. She's come a long way since the time they'd first met two weeks ago. She quickly slipped passed the nurses station towards the elevator wearing a jacket over her hospital gown.

Callie forced herself to cough as Lucy held a kidney dish under her chin though nothing came up.

"Maybe you just need some water." Lucy suggested, putting the dish down and pouring Callie a glass of water.

"Thanks." Callie said, grateful that she could stop coughing. She took a couple of sips. "Much better, thank you." She smiled before suddenly realizing that she had to keep Lucy with her a while longer. She began coughing again, trying to make it look believable.

Lucy smiled to herself. "Here, keep sipping this. I really need to use the rest room, mind if I use yours? The one for the nurses is all the way down the hall." She said, giving the girl a break. She couldn't really be upset with Stef and Callie for coming up with this plan. Their friendship had really brought the girl out of her shell and it was amazing to watch. Even she had begun doing little things for the two of them just to see them smile. Yesterday she'd added an extra jello cup to each of their lunch trays and the day before that she'd given them an extra half hour before asking Stef to go back to her own room for the night. Such simple things were enough to show Callie that she was cared for and it really did no harm to anyone.

* * *

"Now I want it all eaten." Stef ordered as Callie's lunch was brought in. "No complaining and no excuses." She warned.

"You really don't have to do this you know." Callie said nervously. "I'm fine on my own."

"Honey, it's just lunch." Stef said gently, aware of how antsy Callie was about the fact that Lena was coming to have lunch with Stef and Stef had suggested they have it in Callie's room so Lena and Callie could meet.

"Yeah, but she's coming to see you." Callie reminded the woman.

"She will see me." Stef assured. "But we have three kids, we're used to having third wheel." She teased. "Sometimes fourth and fifth as well." She added with a smile.

Callie smiled back but sighed, still unsure about this whole thing. Not only was she taking time away from the two of them but she was also nervous about meeting this woman that Stef talked so fondly about. If she was honest with herself she'd admit that she was jealous of the kids that Stef cared for so much and she was scared that this woman wouldn't like her the way Stef seemed to for no doubt Stef had told her wife everything about her.

"Relax honey." Stef said again, more gently. "She's very nice and very easy to talk to."

As if on cue Lena knocked on the door. "May I come in." She said with a smile, holding a small bag and and a book.

"Hi Love." She gave her a quick kiss on the lips before guiding her into the room." Callie, this is my wife Lena. Lena, Callie." She introduced.

"Hi Callie." Lena said, holding out her hand to the girl. "Stef's told me so much about you." She said.

That's what Callie had been afraid of. "Nice to meet you." She said, somewhat rigidly. She had a feeling that this woman wouldn't like her if she didn't then she was afraid that Stef would pull away too.

"What did you bring for lunch?" Stef asked her wife as she pulled up a chair for Lena.

"Grilled Chicken Salad." Lena said, sitting down and pulling out her salad while the two patients pulled their trays close.

"She's a health nut." Stef said, shaking her head at Callie. "I tried for years to break her of that problem but it never worked." She teased, extracting a small smile from Callie.

"On the contrary, you're the one who's diet has changed drastically." Lena pointed out.

"What choice do I have?" Stef rebutted. "You're the cook."

Callie watched the two and she could see the easy banter as they talked and teased each other, trying to make her feel comfortable without making it too obvious. They had both realized that pushing Callie into something would only do harm and so they'd decided the best course of action was to wait patiently and let her come to them. It was just a matter of time before she learned to trust them more.


	10. Chapter 10

It wasn't long before Lena had Callie talking and right now the two were discussing recipes.

"That's quite a long list of dishes you can make." Lena said, impressed at the things Callie had tried.

"My mom loved baking." Callie explained. "She was always in the kitchen making something or the other. It always made her happy."

"It's the best thing, being able to do what you love." Lena agreed wholeheartedly.

"She would let me help her decorate the cookies." Callie said with a smile. "Most of the frosting and sprinkles went straight into my mouth." She added with a giggle.

"My kids were the same." Lena smiled back, so happy to see Callie come out of her shell.

"She made other stuff too. Cakes, bread, buns, real food." Callie listed.

"The smell of freshly baked bread just might be the most amazing thing in the world." Lena agreed.

"I'm not much of a baker but she taught me a few things." Callie admitted. "Mostly I just make simple mac and cheese or burgers so that we don't starve. Sometimes my cooking was the only food Jude and I had." Callie admitted, not even realizing she was sharing personal information.

A quick glance was exchanged between the two adults but neither made a big deal of it for they didn't want Callie to stop talking.

"Well I think knowing how to cook is very important for everyone." Lena said. "No matter who you are you should be able to feed yourself."

Callie couldn't agree more for it was Foster Care that had forced her to actually learn to cook. With her mother she'd been more of the unofficial taster rather than the head chef.

* * *

Lunch continued for almost an hour as the three of them talked about various things ranging from food to sports. Absentmindedly Stef would remind Callie to eat the vegetables that she didn't like or to drink water even though she hated having to pee in a bedpan. When they were finally done an orderly knocked on the door to remind Stef it was time for her physiotherapy.

"Damn." Stef teased as she got up, shooting glares at the man. She turned and gave Callie a quick kiss on the head and Lena one on the lips before heading out, leaving the two alone.

Callie looked at Lena awkwardly. It was one thing to have Stef around but it was an entirely different situation having just Lena. The two had only officially met less than an hour ago so Callie was still somewhat nervous.

"So what do you want to do once you're done with school?" Lena questioned, curious about the girl's plans for the future.

"I never really thought about it." Callie admitted nervously. Somehow she felt like it was the wrong answer and that Lena wouldn't like it.

"Well what do you do for fun?" Lena asked, hoping to keep up the conversation and communication by staying away from uncomfortable topics.

Callie shrugged. "Nothing really." She answered. "There's not that much time."

"What do you do all day?" Lena questioned.

But Callie wasn't sure how to answer for she didn't think that admitting she had housework and chores from the moment she woke up to the time she was finally allowed to go to bed was appropriate. When Stef was around Callie found herself telling the truth without even realizing it but now she felt she had to be careful about what she said.

"Do you read?" Lena asked, sensing the change in atmosphere.

"I guess." Callie answered. "I read whatever they give us in school" She said.

"Well, I have something for you." Lena said, picking up the book she'd brought with her and handing it to Callie.

"Why?" Callie asked in surprise as she looked between the book and Lena.

"Well for many reasons." Lena answered, unwilling to give her all the reasons. "A book is like a magical portal to another time or another world. In a book you can be a princess locked away in a tower or a pirate sailing the seven seas in search of treasure. You can be a swimmer or a cook or a pilot. You can see places you would never be able to go to and make friends with people anywhere in the world." She said passionately, obviously an avid reader herself."

Callie raised her eyebrows as she listened to Lena, wondering exactly what the woman was talking about.

Lena smiled. "Having a book is like having a friend. You're never lonely. Once you start reading you get pulled into the story and the world around you just vanishes and you are transported into the world of whatever book you're reading." She watched Callie as she began to really look at the book. "This is one of my favorites." Lena said, as she too looked at the book. "A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett"

"What's it about?" Callie asked, somewhat curiously.

This is where Lena hesitated slightly for she wasn't sure what Callie would make of the story. She had brought a book because Stef had told her that Callie had no one and Lena had hoped this would help her pass the time. She hoped that Callie would find some entertainment and companionship in the stories. She'd chosen this particular book because she felt it might speak to Callie and help her see that there's always hope, especially if you stayed true to yourself and didn't let the cruel ways of life get you down.

"It's about a girl who is mistreated after her father dies." Lena explained, studying Callie closely, not surprised when her head shot up. "And how she overcomes it all." She continued, knowing that Callie was more than curious now.

Callie looked back down at the book, almost like it was a treasure that held a deep secret that would instantly solve all her problems.

"Give it a try." Lena encouraged. "You might like it." With that she left, leaving Callie to figure out what she wanted to do. She'd given Callie the opportunity and now it was up to Callie to take the next step. Lena would be there if she needed her and she'd bring more books if she wanted but Callie had to make that choice. Lena only hoped that it would give the girl a positive outlet and escape and maybe have her think about her future a little more."


	11. Chapter 11

"That's not even half honey." Stef said as she pushed Callie's lunch tray closer to her. "Have a few more bites." She encouraged.

"No, I don't want it." Callie groaned in a bad mood as she pushed it away again.

"Love, you need to eat. You're on so many medications right now." Stef reminded her gently.

"I don't want to." Callie said, annoyed. "Stop forcing me." She had never argued like this before but she was just so frustrated with being stuck in bed all day for weeks and she felt safe enough with Stef to push a little.

Stef remained calm as she took a step back but picked up a carrot stick off of Callie's tray and handed it to her. "Go on, it's not much." She encouraged while trying not to crowd Callie.

But Callie was too worked up and irritable to listen. She pushed Stef's hand away, knocking the carrot out of her hand. "God, just stop okay. You're not my mom so quit acting like it." She hissed before falling back against the bed and closing her eyes, letting Stef know that this conversation was over.

Stef sighed as she watched Callie for a few moments before quietly heading back to her own room, her own lunch left half untouched on a table in Callie's room where she ate most of her meals.

Just as Stef entered her own room she turned once again to find Callie reaching for the book beside her bed. She smiled to herself, glad that at least Lena's book was there to keep her company. She knew Lena had chosen that book for a reason and she honestly couldn't wait for Callie to get to the parts that could so easily have been about her.

* * *

"Clif-Bars?" Lena asked in surprised as she walked towards her car with her phone trapped between her shoulder and her ear, one hand carrying her purse and a file and the other trying frantically to dig out her car keys from her bag.

"Callie." Stef explained it all in that one name.

"Okay." Lena smiled as she unlocked the car and dumped the stuff onto the seat. "I'll pick up a couple of boxes on the way."

"Thanks love." Stef smiled, leaning back in bed and adjusting the pillows as she waited for Lena. "What about the paperwork?" She questioned.

"I have it with me right now." Lena said. "We have quite a few things to go over."

Stef frowned. "I hate legal work." She groaned but then turned towards Callie's room again, remembering why they were doing this in the first place.

"Really, I always find it a joy." Lena said sarcastically, navigating through the cluster of students leaving the parking lot.

"Very funny." Stef groaned back, though the truth was she couldn't wait to see her wife. She missed her and longed to hold her and kiss her again. "Just get her soon okay." She said, waiting impatiently for the twenty or so minutes it would take Lena to stop at the store and then come to the hospital.

* * *

Stef hung up and then looked back towards Callie who was still engrossed in the book. She'd been watching Callie on and off all afternoon. At first she'd thought that Callie was only pretending to read to avoid her but when a nurse dropped a file in the hallway and Callie still didn't look up at the sound she knew the girl was hooked.

With a sigh Stef decided to try and make amends. She'd gotten used to spending the days with Callie and this afternoon she'd been unbelievably bored. She had plenty to do but the thought that the girl was annoyed and frustrated make her constantly think about her. She got up and headed back to Callie's room, wondering what mood the teen would be in.

"Hey." Stef said tentatively from the doorway.

Callie looked up, a rather surprised expression on her face. "You came." She said in bewilderment.

"Why wouldn't I?" Stef asked, wondering if Callie really thought their relationship was over because of one snappy comment.

"The things I said." Callie felt the need to remind her, still uncertain about what was happening.

"All forgotten." Stef said with a shrug as she took a seat in her usual spot beside Callie's bed.

Callie sat silent for a few minutes, thinking about what was happening and Stef gave her the time to process. They were friends and they had their ups and downs but this was the first time that Callie had ever been outright rude to Stef, especially since she's opened up to her so much and told her the truth about her past. She'd expected Stef to run each and every time but she never had. She'd come back each time she'd drawn Callie more and more into her happy world and Callie was beginning to realize that the more she became a part of the older woman the more she was tainting her world.

"I'm sorry." Callie finally said, not looking directly at Stef.

"It's already forgotten love." Stef said again, thinking that Callie was talking about the afternoon.

"For all of it." Callie explained. "For bringing my mess into your perfect world." She said, shaking her head at the very thought of what she'd done.

"Perfect?" Stef raised her eyebrow but smiled. "It's far from perfect love." She said kindly.

Callie finally looked up at Stef wondering how the woman could think that. She had everything that Callie could ever dream of and she didn't think it was perfect.

"I'm in a hospital, after being shot, by my kids' birthmother's boyfriend." Stef reminded her in a somewhat teasing tone to keep the morose topic light.

Callie looked away again when she realized she couldn't argue with that part. It definitely was a black spot on what seemed like a fairytale life. But apart from that, it seemed, life for Stef just had to be perfect.

"No one is perfect Callie." Stef said seriously when she realized that Callie truly meant what she was saying. "and no one's life is either." She confirmed.

Once again Callie looked up at Stef, waiting for an explanation because she truly couldn't believe what the woman was telling her. Sure, there were always little hitches and glitches but what more could Stef want? She had a wife who clearly adored her, children that were obviously unable to lose her, friends and family that put aside their plans to come and visit her and do things for her. Heck, even an ex-husband that still loves her enough to be friends. And what did Callie have in comparison - a shattered knee, a broken arm, an injured jaw, a brother she no longer had contact with and a past that would outshine even a Stephen King novel.

"My life may look great from the outside but it's not perfect and it certainly wasn't like this all my life."

Callie's face instantly took on a look of interest as she waited for Stef to go on and Stef realized that she was going to have to truly open up to Callie if she had any hope of getting Callie to believe that even her life could turn around.


	12. Chapter 12

"When I was growing up and found myself attracted to girls more than guys my dad was very upset. He is extremely religious and this went against everything he believed in." Stef began to explain as Callie listened to every word with interest. "He loved me, he never hurt me, he was a good dad, but..." Stef licked her lips, surprised herself at the excuse she was making for her father. "he did hurt me unintentionally. He sent me to a pastor hoping that they could talk me out of the path I was on. He did it because he loved me and wanted to save me but I was embarrassed and hurt and angry and I felt so betrayed. I had no one to really talk to. At the time my mother thought he was doing the right thing and I was so confused myself that I didn't feel like I could talk to anyone else." Stef admitted, lost in the memory of her teenage years.

Callie watched Stef, trying to imagine this fierce woman as an insecure teenager just like herself, but it was almost impossible for Callie couldn't believe that someone like her could one day be someone like Stef.

"I married Mike because it was the easy thing to do." Stef continued. "It kept my father happy. It made me feel like I was doing the right thing. It make Mike happy because he was truly in love with me and I don't regret it because it brought me my son. He became the reason that I eventually decided to turn my life around. I wasn't happy in my marriage and that wasn't good for Brandon. I left Mike who was having problems of his own. We split up and I met Lena, I got divorced and with Lena's help I finally became who I was meant to be." Stef smiled at the happy ending. "It took a while for me to truly let go of my insecurities and hesitations and in some ways they aren't all gone but once I embraced who I was and wasn't afraid to admit it I was so much happier."

Stef watched Callie as Callie studied Stef. She could see Callie trying to picture herself a few years from now, hoping that she too could find happiness and contentment in her life but it was important for her to see that no one's life was perfect no matter how it looked to those on the outside.

"Lena struggled for a long time with who she is because her father is white and her mother is black. She is a colored woman but she's not very dark and in some ways that always made her feel like she didn't quite belong here or there. The plus point of having parents of different colors was that they understood true love and dealing with people's opinions of whom you chose to marry. When Lena told them she was gay they accepted it because they remembered struggling to make it work when people told them they wouldn't make it." Once again Stef caught Callie's eye and smiled. "Let me tell you, they made it to thirty nine years and are still going strong."

"Wow." Callie said in amazement. She couldn't imagine living with the same person for forty years. She hadn't even managed to live with one foster family for more than two months - a lifetime seemed like an impossible mission.

"Yup." Stef agreed. "We all struggled, we all made it and we all work through the bumps and turns. Mike had to deal with his drinking problem, Brandon had to deal with the divorce and my twins had a druggie for a mom." Stef went on, showing Callie that no one was except from hurdles and problems.

Callie thought about it all and she had to admit that they sounded pretty tough as well but she didn't think she could be like them. She wasn't that strong and she didn't have anyone to help her through besides Jude and she didn't even know where he was at the moment.

"Sometimes I wish I could just end it all." Callie admitted, her eyes growing wet. "I'm so tried of trying to fight and get through the hurdles. Wherever we go it's the same - we don't get fed or we get beaten, we get locked up or abused. When do we get a break? When does the hurdle end?" She asked in despair.

Stef felt like crying herself for she didn't have the answers. Life was cruel and while she knew that everyone struggled she did agree that some had it harder than others. Callie, unfortunately, was one of the unlucky ones and it would take a lot from her to come out the other side of this in one piece.

"You can't give up Callie." Stef said sincerely. "You have come so far and you've done so great, you just can't give up."

"I age out of the system in less than two years." Callie pointed out. "What happens then? I can't afford to finish my education. I'll get a minimum wage job if I'm lucky, a crappy place to live and worst of all Jude will still be in the system and I won't be able to do anything about it." She said, the pain of that showing clear.

"I will have the power to make your own choices." Stef reminded her. "You won't have to answer to anyone and if you set your mind to it and you work hard you can do anything baby." Stef said emphatically. "You can overcome this."

"Easier said than done." Callie mumbled as she rolled her eyes at the absurdity of Stef's statement.

"It _is_ easier said than done." Stef agreed completely, surprising Callie. "But it _can_ be done." She added. "You have to set a goal and give everything you have to achieving it."

Callie looked back at Stef. The force with which Stef believed what she was saying was a little contagious and Callie found herself thinking about what she might want to do with her life once she was on her own.

"And one thing you have to be strong about it to fight the temptations." Stef added.

"What temptations?" Callie asked curiously.

"The ones that will make your life seem easier." Stef explained. "It could be alcohol, it could be drugs, drug-running or... prostitution." She said gently, knowing that for girls like Callie that was the easiest way out. "Once you get used to it it's easy money and once you get into it it's almost impossible to get out." She said, desperate for Callie to understand what she was saying. She doesn't tell her that she sees it almost every day at work because she hasn't yet told Callie that she's a cop but at the same time she wanted to make it clear to the girl that these paths were dangerous and heartbreaking no matter how easy they seemed.


	13. Chapter 13

"This girl didn't do anything wrong." Callie said, a pained look on her face and _The Little Princess_ open in front of her. "She was nice to everyone but they still treated her like crap."

Lena was sitting in Stef's usual spot by Callie's bed while Stef was taken to have her stitches removed and the two were discussing the book.

"People can be very cruel." Lena agreed, glad that Callie had taken an interest in the book. She already had a number of other ones lined up for the teen and most of them had cheery, humors themes but this one in particular was one she wanted the young girl to read.

"She was just a kid." Callie continued, still upset with the story. "What was she supposed to do against a grown woman with all the power?" It was clear that for the first time Callie was voicing what she would have liked to say in her own circumstances. She too was just a child, stuck in a system that held all the power.

"That's usually how bullies work." Lena explained. "They need to make other people feel small in order to feel bigger about themselves and they pick on people who can't or won't fight back." She said. "It's frightening to stand up for yourself, especially when you're the only one doing it but the only way to really break the cycle of a bully is to speak up about it. They depend on you to keep quiet and to be too afraid to do anything about it in case you make it worse."

Callie listened intently for she agreed with every single thing that Lena was saying. She'd lost count of the number of times she was too afraid to ask someone for help in a bad foster home from fear of making her situation worse. Even when friendly neighbors had heard fighting or concerned teachers had caught her crying and asked if she was alright she would always nod and give them a smile making up a lie about a fight with a boyfriend or an argument with Jude over the TV remote. She had never once told them that they were being abused or starved or neglected and asked for help for she was always afraid that if their foster parents found out, things could get much, much worse.

"At least she has friends." Callie said, happy for the girl in the story. "She's not entirely alone."

Lena wondered if Callie realized that she too had friends and people she could count on. "She remained kind and strong through it all." Lena said. "She didn't give in to anything and she never turned bitter. She worked hard and stayed true to herself and that's what made people like her." She studied the girl in front of her carefully and saw the recognition in Callie's eyes. "It's okay to ask for help and to depend on people sometimes." Lena said. "Everyone needs a friend and some support."

"It's hard to really trust people when so many have let you down but sometimes you just have to take a chance." Lena continued, hoping that Callie would realize that when she spoke she was talking about Stef and herself as those people. "Sometimes people just might surprise you."

Callie wasn't ready to ask for help just yet. She still felt very vulnerable lying in bed with a brace on her leg. Her cast had come out a few days ago but besides ending the endless itchiness she was still very restricted and very dependent on other people.

"Does she find happiness?" Callie asked, too afraid to read on an find out for herself just in case it didn't end very well for little Sara Crewe.

"You'll have to read to find out." Lena said with a smile, giving her a small clue that it does without actually telling her what happens.

"It just makes me so mad." Callie admitted. "She's locked up in that room in the attic all alone, what's going to happen to her?"

"It's just a story honey." Lena reminded her. "It's just a book and at the end of it, it's over."

" _This_ is just a story." Callie indicated sadly towards the book. "But for many of us it's life." She added, including herself for the very first time."

Lena felt tears well up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't disagree with Callie but at the same time she wanted her to know that she wasn't alone, that she had people she could trust. "How about we read a little together?" Lena suggested, hoping Callie would say yes for she wanted more than anything to read with the girl. "I can read to you for a bit and then you can read to me."

Callie looked at Lena for a moment though for the first time she didn't seem surprised or nervous about the offer. She just nodded and smiled shyly as she moved over in her bed to give Lena some room to sit. Lena quickly took the vacated spot and picked up the book - _"Chapter Eight, In The Attic."_ Lena began and soon the two were lost in the world of Sara Crewe and her story.

* * *

When Stef got back from having her stitches removed she had some good new and big smile on her face that grew even larger when she saw Lena and Callie lying together reading softly.

"Hey you two." Stef interrupted when Callie finished a sentence she was reading.

"Hey." Lena smiled up at her fiancé. "How did it go?" She asked.

"Painfully slowly." Stef said dramatically before smiling again. "But, I have some news." She waited as they two of them looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to let them in on her secret. "I'll be discharged at the end of the week." She said, extremely excited to be leaving this place.

Lena let out a joyous laugh as she got off the bed and practically ran to hug Stef. "That's great honey." She said, kissing Stef as Stef held Lena close, almost forgetting about the girl still lying in bed. "Oh my God, I don't believe it." It had been six weeks since Stef had been shot and it was beginning to feel like Stef would never come back home.

* * *

"So, my mother flew down this morning and she's insisting on some sort of a celebration." Stef said as she entered Callie's room. "She's bringing over mini cakes for tasting for our wedding and Lena and the kids and I have to make a choice and you are going to join us." She said, plopping herself down on the chair, tired from the exercises they were making her do to make sure she was ready to be discharged.

Callie raised an eyebrow at Stef. "Um, no." She said. "I'm not crashing your party."

"You're not crashing." Stef agreed. "I'm inviting you." She said. "And it's not a party really, we just have to get a move on our wedding plans if we want it to happen this summer so this is a perfect excuse to eat a whole lot of cake. She smiled like a little kid.

"Still no." Callie said flatly looking directly at Stef, unwilling to give in. She had no desire to get herself involved with Stef's kids especially since Stef was going to be gone really soon and would undoubtedly forget all about her.

"Why not?" Stef asked, I'd love to have you there and everyone's very friendly. You already know Lena and the kids are around your age. My mom is the only one..."

"Please don't." Callie stopped her as Stef was about to go on. "I'm not comfortable meeting your family. I don't do well in large numbers and I don't want to interrupt." She could see the disappointment on the older woman's face but she was just not comfortable hanging out with a bunch of kids she was already jealous of. "But I wouldn't object if you brought me a piece of the winning cake." Callie added with a grin, hoping to cheer Stef up a big.

Stef nodded and smiled back though it didn't reach her eyes. She wanted Callie there but she understood that the girl was uncomfortable and she didn't want to push her. If Callie wanted to join in she was welcome but it was her choice and Stef had to respect that.

* * *

"Ahahah." Callie groaned in frustration. "Every time I reach your stupid goal you push it farther and father away." Callie complained to her doctor who was raising and bending her leg in all odd angles. "You are never satisfied." She grumbled.

Stef was sitting at the head of Callie's bed, encouraging her and supporting her while Callie's doctor and Lucy helped her do her exercises.

"Well young lady, all my pushing and forcing is the reason you are cleared to walk." The doctor said with a smile, waiting for Callie to register what he'd just said.

"Wait, really?" Callie asked in disbelief, a huge grin on her face.

"We can officially take off the brace." The doctor said.

"And you are free to pee in the bathroom." Lucy added, knowing that of everything it's what Callie hated most.

"Oh my God." Callie said in excitement as she looked at Stef, tears pouring down her face. "Oh my God." She she repeated, still wrapping her mind around her piece of good news.

"Now you have no choice but to celebrate with us." Stef smiled back and winked at the teen, glad that something was finally going well for the younger girl.


	14. Chapter 14

"Come on, they don't bite." Stef teased as she lead Callie to her room. She had waited for everyone to get here and then walked across the hall to get their last guest. "It's just my family and a whole lot of cake." She said as she led them through the open door where the usually dreary room was filled with laughter and fun as six people buzzed about with paper plates, forks and cake boxes.

"Guys, say hi to Callie." Stef called out over the noise, getting everyone's attention.

"Come on in sweetheart." Lena said gently as she too went to welcome Callie. "We're waiting for you."

Callie smiled shyly as she looked around the room, balancing on her crutches and holding them so tight as though her life depended on them.

"You know Lena." Stef began introducing everyone. "That's my mother Sharon, my kids - Jesus, Mariana and Brandon and that's Mike, Brandon's father." She said. She knew that Callie already knew everyone by name for she'd told the girl a lot about them over the last month but just for the sake of formal introductions she introduced them all.

"Mom's told us a lot about you." Jesus said, trying to be friendly and make it seem like she was important.

But the simple statement made the already uncomfortable girl even more tense. She stood rigidly as her eyes went wide with worry and a frown formed on her face. She knew that Stef would have told Lena a lot of what they had talked about for it was clear as day that the two didn't keep secrets from each other but she never expected her to talk about her to the rest of her family.

"Just that we keep each other company, love." Stef whispered softly when she noticed Callie's worry. "Nothing personal." She assured with a small smile, waiting for Callie to feel comfortable enough to walk in further.

"Come on in, have some cake, there's plenty." Sharon said, sensing the girl's nervousness as well. "What can I get you?" She asked as she grabbed a plate for the girl. "We have Double Chocolate, Dark and White Chocolate, Coconut and Lime, Raspberry Ripple, Lemon Meringue, Butter Cream Crunch, Red Velvet and Rum and Raisin."

Callie looked around at all the cake in amazement. "Wow, how did you get all this in here,?" She asked in wonder, momentarily forgetting her shyness. "We can just barely sneak in a bar of chocolate." She said to Stef with a smile.

Everyone laughed but it was Stef who answered. "Mike flirts his way through everything." She said with a straight face earning a plastic spoon to come flying at her.

"Well I, for one, am grateful for his charm and charisma." Sharon said smiling at him as she cut small slices of each cake for everyone.

"Me too." Jesus agreed wholeheartedly, his mouth stuffed with a bite-full of cake.

"You're a pig." Mariana said in disgust as she handed Callie a plate and smiled. "Try the Raspberry, that's my favorite." She said.

Callie smiled back and took the plate but Stef took it from her and helped her sit down first. She then handed the plate back and gave her a wink. "Eat up." She teased in memory of the number of times she'd had to coax Callie into finishing her lunch or dinner.

Callie smiled up at her and took the plate and ate quietly, watching the family interact with each other. The more she learned the more surprised she got. This was the first time she got to observe them up close and though Stef had told her a lot about them all she was still surprised, especially by Mariana and Jesus.

"This is defiantly the cake I would have picked for my birthday party." Mariana said, going for a second slice of the Raspberry cake. "It sucks that it got cancelled." She said accusingly as she eyed Stef and Lena.

"Come on, you didn't think they'd let you have one after all that did you?" Jesus asked, seemingly less upset about a birthday party that would obviously have been his too.

Callie was shocked at how easily Mariana complained. She had to agree with Jesus that after putting Stef in hospital they definitely didn't deserve a party. But once again she was surprised by the blond she'd grown to love.

"Hey." Stef said as she walked over to Mariana and put a finger under her chin, lifting it up so the young Latina could see her clearly. "You know that canceling the party was punishment for selling the pills and for lying, yes?" She asked, waiting for a nod from the girl. "This," She pointed to the hospital room, my getting shot, that's not on you." She said clearly.

Once again Mariana nodded though with much more emotion and sadness.

Stef pulled her close and gave her a kiss on the head. "I love you baby." She said to her daughter as Callie looked on enviously.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Mariana said softly, still feeling a little guilty about the whole thing.

"I am and I'll be home in just four days." Stef assured with a smile.

Mariana smiled back as a silence fell over the room. The memory of the fateful night and the horrible way it could have ended playing on everyone's mind.

"Just remember, you're coming home but the doctor said you had to continue to rest for a few more weeks." Lena reminded her wife playfully, hoping to restore the cheer to the now quiet room.

"Like that's gonna happen." Mike said with a laugh. "I don't think Stef knows the meaning of that."

"He's right, getting her to _take it easy_ is definitely not gonna be easy." Sharon said as everyone laughed, knowing full well that Stef would not stay in bed for more than a day, if that.

"Nah, she'll be up and running in no time." Jesus added, supporting his mother since everyone else was teasing her.

"That's why she's the best cop in town." Brandon said proudly, not realizing that he's just spilled a very dangerous secret.


	15. Chapter 15

Stef and Lena instantly turned worriedly to Callie who's face had gone completely white as she stared back at Stef.

It had taken Callie a moment for Brandon's statement to register but once it did, it hit hard. "Cop?" She said the word softly as though she was making sure she heard correctly.

"You never told her you're a cop?" Mariana asked, surprised that in all this time they never talked about her job.

"You're a cop?" Callie asked though it came out like a statement with much more venom in her voice.

"Callie..." Stef tried to explain as Callie began to stand.

"Just leave me alone." Callie stopped her as she grabbed the crutches that were thankfully within reach.

"Callie..." Stef tried again only to be cut off once more.

"No, just leave me alone." Callie said again as she began to hobble out the door.

Stef helplessly looked at Lena who nudged her on after the girl. "Callie wait honey." Stef said as she followed Callie who was now right outside her door.

"You're just like the rest of them." Callie spat as she spun around ignoring the sudden throb in her knee. There were tears in her eyes as she felt so stupid and betrayed.

"I wan't trying to hurt you Callie." Stef said once she realized that Callie had now reached her own room. "I know you've had bad experiences with cops before but we aren't all like that." She pointed out, hoping Callie would keep in mind the last month they'd spent together.

"You're a liar, twisting things to have your way." Callie accused aggressively as she tried not to put any weight on her injured knee. "That's basically just like any cop I've ever known."

"I didn't lie." Stef said, ignoring the small crowd that was forming to watch. "I never said that I wasn't a cop." She reasoned.

"You kept it from me knowing how I'd feel." Callie shot back. "That's as good as a lie. It was deceitful. Don't tell me it never once occurred to you to share that bit of information."

Stef was silent for a moment, realizing that she had no argument for that. It was true - she'd known that Callie would react badly and had chosen to omit that particular detail. Had one of her kids been the one to do something like this she would have been mad too.

"I didn't think so." Callie said when Stef gave no response. She knew she was right and now she had no one but herself to blame for she's made it her life motto never to trust anyone but she'd broken that rule and now she was paying for it.

"Callie..." Stef once again followed Callie to her room but this time Callie yelled back.

"I don't want you in my room." The girl yelled angrily before turning to Lucy who was standing by, watching along with a number of other people. "I have that right don't I?" She questioned. "I can refuse to have her visit."

Lucy looked helplessly between the two but then nodded, giving Stef an apologetic look. "She had no rights - she's not family."

"Great." Callie said in satisfaction. "She's on my blacklist."

* * *

Over the next two days Stef and Lena tried desperately to talk to Callie but they were both forbidden to enter Callie's room.

"I'm sorry." The doctor said. "She's clearly stated that she doesn't want visitors. We have to follow those orders."

"At least tell me what's going on, why is she back in the brace?" Stef said through gritted teeth. "You know us, we want what's best for her."

The doctor looked uncomfortable as he glanced through the small window in Callie's closed door, aware that it was illegal for him to discuss a patient with anyone other than family or guardians.

"Look, I'm a god damn cop and I know Callie has had bad experiences with them but you and I both know that most of us aren't like that." Stef said, hating her job for the very first time ever. "I have personally come to this hospital several times with victims that I have rescued and I have put a lot into that girl." She growled as she pointed towards Callie's room. "So just break the damn rules for once and tell me why her leg is back in that brace."

The doctor sighed and glanced around, aware that no one who knew the situation would question his choice to share personal information for they had all seen just how much Stef had helped Callie in the last four and a half weeks. The girl who had come in so quietly that she didn't even cry was now laughing and joking and playing pranks on the poor nurse.

"She was supposed to take it easy." The doctor explained. "She could walk around but slowly and with no weight on her right leg. When she walked back to her room she moved her leg too fast and used it to help her balance and that once again weakened the joint. It's still intact so we have only strapped it to be on the safe side but it's still too dangerous for her to use it. We'll have to wait a week or two before we try again."

Stef felt like crying. She couldn't believe this was happening and all because she'd chosen to keep a secret. If she'd have just told Callie the truth then maybe they could have discussed it and avoided all this. But instead Callie was once again stuck in bed with absolutely no one she could trust and even less hope than before.

* * *

The morning that Stef was to be discharged Lena and Mike came to help her while Sharon helps the kids get the house ready. There were a few adjustments that had to be made for Stef would find it hard to go up and down the stairs too often.

Stef had to be out of her room by eleven and there were still the discharge papers that had to be filled and signed and payment had to be made. She had to meet with her physiotherapist one more time to show her how to exercise well and what she should and shouldn't do and then the doctors wanted one last scan of her torso just to make sure that her spine was completely healed and that there were no remaining fragments left inside.

But still Stef made the time to go visit Callie one more time. Lena and Mike had gone to finish the paperwork so she was alone for a few minutes. She decided that if she had any hope of reconnecting with the girl then she had to take a chance, rules be damned.

"Hey Callie." Stef said as she softly opened the girl's door.

Callie was lying on her back facing the window but gave absolutely no response. Stef knew she was awake and that she was listening, even though she gave no indication to the fact, and so she continued.

"Honey, I'm sorry I lied to you." Stef began as gently as she could. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. I didn't want to mess up what we had." She once again waited, hoping that Callie would give her some response - a nod, a twitch, anything. But the girl remained so still she didn't even allow her tears to fall. "You are so important to me love." Stef went on. "I'll come back okay. And you're going to be just fine."

Callie still remained absolutely still and Stef had run out of things to say. She didn't want to push too hard in case Callie got upset and hurt herself further and so with a heavy heart she took a few steps into the room and kissed Callie on the head one last time before leaving. She felt like she was being torn in half but she had to do what was best for Callie. She knew this was just a temporary goodbye for one way or another she'd reunite with the girl she'd begun to think of as her daughter.


	16. Chapter 16

Callie felt like crying from the moment she watched Stef leave. She did believe that Stef had lied to her but at the same time she'd grown to love her and she wanted her and missed her like crazy. Why had things turned out this way? For the first time in her life Callie had felt normal and loved and once again she was let down. She had never opened up this much to anyone since she was ten years old and then she foolishly poured her heart out to a complete stranger. She'd let that stranger get close and worm her way into her heart only to have it crushed yet again.

"She calls everyday to ask about you." Lucy said when she caught Callie crying for the third day in a row. "And she sent her wife to visit you again." She added, hoping that the girl would once again allow the other woman to keep her company. Obviously it wouldn't be everyday since Stef was no longer a patient and Lena was needed at home but even a half hour every other day would do wonders for the younger girl. "She left this for you." Lucy continued, passing Callie a small envelope.

But Callie didn't take it. She didn't respond or show any indication of actually listening just like the days before.

"I'm going to leave it right here for you okay." Lucy said and stuck the envelope under the bed remote that was lying next to Callie.

Callie waited for Lucy to leave and then a good five minutes more before her curiosity got the better of her and she took the envelope and pulled out the note.

 _619-704-3302_

 _Whenever you're ready._

 _I love you._

 _Stef._

Callie felt like crying even more as she read the note. It was simple but still it held all the love in the world. She wanted so badly to make the call; to hear her voice; to be told that she was loved. But instead she crumpled up the paper and flung it across the room as she burst into more tears. This wasn't going to last and it was better to just cut the ties now - a clean break. But still Callie couldn't help the feeling of complete loss every time she glanced at the room across the hallway only to find clean, unused sheets on an empty bed.

* * *

"Well." Stef asked as she sat up from the couch the moment she heard Lena walk through the door.

"I couldn't see her." Lena said sadly, aware of just how much it hurt her wife to know that.

Stef groaned in frustration as she flopped back against the couch, ignoring the pain she still felt in her abdomen. "I can't believe they are sticking to these stupid rules." She muttered.

Lena knew that Stef was annoyed but she also understood the hospital's point of view - they had to see to their patients first and Callie had clearly expressed her refusal to have the Foster women as visitors - it made her agitated and could risk her healing process and besides that, it was just plain illegal.

"I have to go myself." Stef continued, unaware of Lena's thoughts. "I need to fix this and I need to do it personally." She began to get up but Lena quickly rushed to her side and laid a firm hand on her shoulder.

"You can't." Lena said, gently pushing Stef back down. "You're not allowed so there's no point in going all the way down there just to come back home again when you're supposed to be taking it easy."

"I told her I'd come back Lena." Stef practically begged. "She's going to think I left her." She said, hating just the thought.

"No, she won't." Lena disagreed. "She knows I was there, even though I didn't get to see her. And she knows you sent me." She pointed out. She'd grown fond of the girl but it was no secret that the true connection lay with Stef and at this point it was more for Stef's sake that Lena was continuing the visitations. As much as she hoped the girl recovered well and found a good home, she was still just someone else to her.

"Still, it's not me." Stef said miserably.

"We'll get through to her." Lena said encouragingly. "We'll find our way back in but forcing it isn't the answer." She said, knowing that Stef already knew that too.

* * *

Four hours later Stef was still frustrated that Callie hadn't allowed them to visit her and it had been three days since she'd left. As happy as she was to be home with her wife and kids, she couldn't help but feel like she'd left one of them behind. Callie had become one of her own children in that hospital and leaving without her seemed to be a big mistake. She'd lost the girl's trust as well as direct contact almost at once and she felt like the child was slipping through her fingers and she had to do something about it soon.

"Ahhh." Lena groaned from the kitchen, bringing Stef out of her thoughts.

Stef got up from the couch where she'd been banished and made her way into the kitchen to see what Lena was up to. It was still too early for dinner so Stef assumed it was some paperwork for school. As Stef took a seat beside Lena she picked up one of the sheets and noticed the letterhead **Integrated Home for Boys** and knew instantly what Lena was working on.

"Forget the visitation rights." Stef announced suddenly.

"What?" Lena asked, looking up at her in surprise.

"We're not going to get him visitation rights." Stef said again.

"Honey, I know you're upset right now but I really think that getting Jude the permission to visit Callie will help." Lena began. "It's taking longer than we thought but we're more than half way there - we already have the recommendation letters from the hospital and from Bill and the judge has agreed to consider it providing we can get a letter from the group home to say that Jude is well behaved enough to earn this exception. I just have to send that letter to the judge now and hopefully the process is complete.

"NO." Stef stopped her. "I don't want visitation rights for him because I want him." She said, shocking Lena. "And his sister." She added, her face exceptionally determined. "I want custody and I want to bring them home."

Lena stared at Stef in shock, trying to figure out whether Stef was just playing a very convincing joke on her or actually meant what she was saying. She knew that Stef and Callie had gotten close and that her wife was a soft-hearted woman despite her tough exterior but she definitely never expected this. What she had expected was for Stef to hunt down a home that would take both kids and then do a background check on them that would make even the FBI look like amateurs but she never once imagined that the home in question would be her own.


	17. Chapter 17

"You've lost your mind." Lena said once she was finally convinced that Stef was being serious.

"You don't know her like I do Lena." Stef explained. "She's a part of me. I can't just let her go knowing everything she's been through."

"Well, we'll find her a home." Lena offered. "I'm not saying we won't do everything in our power to make sure she's safe but we just don't have the space or the finances Stef."

"Who's gonna take them Lena?" Stef questioned. "They couldn't even find Jude a home because he's gay and he was alone. What happens when they throw in a sixteen year old sister that needs intensive physiotherapy and a serious attitude change?" Stef paused, hoping she was getting through to her wife. "She's going to need a lot, Lena, if she's going to have a chance at getting back on her own feet."

Lena was silent as she thought about what Stef was saying. She knew it was true - the number of good, dedicated foster parents were few and far between at best and adding all these problems to the mix made that number even smaller.

"Look it's just temporary until they do find a permeant home." Stef went on when Lena remained silent, trying to pull her over the fence to her own side. "We can make it work; we've always made it work." She added, thinking back to when they first became a family of three and then when the twins came to live with them. "Please. Please." She practically begged.

"Okay." Lena finally said, knowing just how much this meant to Stef and how much it would mean to the two children who desperately needed a loving home.

"Okay?" Stef questioned for clarification, as though she couldn't believe it. "Really?"

"Yes." Lena smiled, loving the look on her wife's face.

"You're not just giving in?" Stef asked for confirmation. "You have to want this too. I don't want them to feel like a burden..." Stef began, making sure that this wasn't going to cause more problems for everyone.

"Stef..." Lena stopped her, mid-rant. "Do you want me to change my mind?" She asked with a hint of teasing in her voice once she had Stef's attention.

"NO." Stef said quickly, satisfied with what she was getting.

Lena smiled at Stef, knowing that no matter how tight things got they were doing the right thing. "Great, now let's go do even more paperwork." She teased at the thought of all the forms they had to fill and requirements they had to meet in order to renew their fostering license.

* * *

"Okay, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, NyQuil, Pepto Bismol, Delsym and Jesus' pills. Did we forget anything?" Stef asked Lena as she arranged all the medication in the new lockable cabinet in their bathroom.

"Not that I can think of." Lena said, running the entire house through her mind for anything they had missed.

"Okay, well the cleaning products are all locked under the kitchen sink and I moved your cooking knives to the top shelf in a box and Jesus' weights are now locked in the garage." Stef said, going through their list of requirements.

"The kids are going to help rearrange the rooms tomorrow morning so that will be done by the time the beds are delivered and the plumber is coming to clear out the drains and pipes in the bathrooms and I also called the guy to come and clean out the air conditioning unit." Lena added.

Stef raised her eyebrow questioningly at her wife.

"If we're going to fix things up we may as well fix it all up." Lena answered her unasked question.

Stef nodded as she continued with her list. "Jesus will need to come to us for his pills every morning but that's just until we are sure these kids aren't going to try and get their hands on it." She said as she and Lena shared a look thinking that it was their own daughter that had been steeling and selling those pills. "And your knives can go back soon too, hopefully." Stef said, knowing that Lena liked all her cooking equipment easily on hand.

"I can't wait." Lena smiled. "What else?"

"Okay so that just leaves the fire extinguishers and the smoke detectors." Stef said. "The maintenance guy is coming day after to make sure it's all up to date and the security system is optional provided there are locks on every door and window and the neighborhood is safe."

"So we have it all covered?" Lena asked in surprise. They had been working on this for the last week and it seemed like such a long list. "If we have to meet all these requirements how the hell do all those abusive parents get a license to foster?" She asked.

"Privatization." Stef said with a venom in her voice as though it was a bad word. "People will do anything for money, including sell helpless little kids."

Lena chose not to reply for she could already see how the simple question had changed the blond's mood. It always angered Stef when she was faced with child abuse at work and unfortunately she saw it a lot.

"Okay what about school?" Stef asked, wondering how the process would go.

"We can have them do the entrance test at Anchor Beach but they will have to meet the requirements to get in." Lena answered. Just because she was the vice principal didn't mean she could just get anyone in. "They have to score at grade level or at least one year below or else they don't qualify."

"So if they don't then public school?" Stef questioned.

"We don't have a choice." Lena answered. She hoped she could have the two children under her own educational roof, especially since they really knew very little about them but at least the public schools in the area were considered good ones.

"And their transcripts?" Stef asked, knowing that Lena would take care of all this part of the process.

"I'll track them down tomorrow." Lena assured.

"Okay so the only thing left is to get our license and custody." Stef said, feeling suddenly overwhelmed.

Lena smiled as she took a few steps closer to her wife and wrapped her arms around her. "It's going to be fine." She assured. "We've done this before."

But what neither of them said was that they'd done it before with little kids who basically followed the rules, had no history of violence or abuse and didn't require intensive medical care.


	18. Chapter 18

"I am so proud of the two of you for agreeing to share your rooms." Stef said to Mariana and Jesus as the entire family helped move Jesus' furniture to one side to make room for things for Jude.

"Yeah well, what choice do I have?" Jesus replied. "I can't force Jude to share Brandon's room. No one deserves to be stuck in the there while he plays the same song a thousand times over." He teased, fully aware that the way he'd begun had made his moms nervous.

"Hey." Brandon objected, playing along with Jesus and shoving him onto the newly made bed.

"No, we are proud of Brandon too." Lena added. "He has always been welcoming whenever we've asked him to share with children who have less than him. You all are opening your lives to these two kids and it's not easy, we know, but it really would mean a lot to them."

"If Callie ever forgives mom." Jesus pointed out. "For all we know she's going to hate living here no matter how good it is."

Stef and Lena shared a look for the two of them had also thought about that. What if Callie was unhappy here simply because she didn't trust Stef and the rest of the family by association. That alone made Stef hope that they would find a truly safe home for the two soon so that the interim period would be short.

Another things that both moms noticed was that Mariana hadn't said anything yet. They'd rearranged her furniture already but the only thing she'd spoken about was where she wanted her things moved too and what she was willing to clear up for Callie.

"Miss Thing, you're okay with this?" Stef questioned as she watched her daughter clear off some of the things on Jesus' desk so that the boys could drag it to one side.

"Yeah." Mariana said, though she didn't seem like herself. The moms expected her to be completely against the idea of having to share her room with a new girl or at least make sassy comments about it but instead she was swinging between silence and acceptance of everything Stef and Lena had asked her to do.

"You sure?" Stef asked for confirmation. Sure, she wanted to give Callie and Jude a stable place to land until a home could be found for them but not at the expense of her own family.

"Yeah." Mariana said again. "I mean, We got lucky when Brandon agreed to share with us, how can we say no?" She explained.

"She's right." Jesus agreed, no hint of teasing in his voice. "It wouldn't be right to refuse to help them, especially since we have the ability."

Both Stef and Lena shared a look as they considered what their children had just said. For all their mistakes and wrong choices, they were still wonderful children that usually had the best intentions. Both moms were extremely happy that their two adoptive children now felt privileged enough to feel the need to give back - it said a lot about their parenting - but at the same time, they had a feeling there are a little bit more that Mariana wasn't quite admitting to.

* * *

"So you think it's still guilt?" Stef asked as she showered while Lena was busy drying her hair. They had worked almost all day to get the rooms ready for inspection and then they desperately needed to wash off all the sweat and dust.

"Maybe." Lena answered. "I mean, it's going to take some time to get over." She said, knowing that her actions hadn't just caused a minor error like a broken window or dent in the car.

"So you think she's too afraid to tell us that she doesn't want to share her room?" Stef questioned.

"No." Lena disagreed. "I think she meant what she said about sharing with kids less fortunate, I just think that maybe she feels like she needs to earn a chance at a home like this."

"Like, even though she's adopted, she still needs to deserve her place." Stef finished, as they finally felt like they'd reached the core of their daughter's issues.

"Something like that." Lena agreed, trying to figure out how they could solve this problem. No amount of talking to the girl and assuring her was doing any good and they hoped that eventually she would just let this incident go and put it behind her.

"I think maybe we need to spend some one on one time with her." Stef suggested. "Not talking and lecturing, just _hanging_." She said, grinning at the term her daughter always used.

"Shopping?" Lena asked, knowing that if anything was going to get through to their girl it was that and if that's what it took to have their bubbly girl back then that's what they'd do - a little shopping never hurt anyone.

* * *

"So Callie, I have some good news for you." The doctor said as he entered Callie's room. "You've been doing really well and we're happy with how your knee has healed. It still needs a lot of therapy but you are all clear to be discharged by Monday." He said, beaming at the young girl who's now been in the hospital for almost two months.

Callie stared up at him in shock. It wasn't that she wasn't excited for no one wanted to be stuck in a bed for weeks on end, but it seemed like this day would never come and now that it had Callie wasn't quite sure how to react.

As the day went on Callie kept thinking about all the pros and cons of getting out of the hospital. The biggest pro was that she could finally try and find Jude but a major con was that she still had to stay off her feet. It was just a wheelchair for a few more weeks and crutches inside the house. And that was another con - she actually needed a house - she had no idea where she would get placed next and being so dependent made it all the more frightening. She would have nothing to protect herself if she was put into a bad home or a group home. Her defenses would be low and she'd be easy to take advantages of. At least here, in the hospital, she had a warm bed, three meals a day and the assurance that no one would hurt her.

As her thoughts continued she realized that maybe she wasn't mentally ready to be discharged and as she tossed and turned, trying to avoid sleep, she knew she'd have to come up with a plan and fast. That was better than succumbing to sleep and the inevitable nightmares that always came whenever she thought about past foster homes. Either way, this was bound to be a long night.


	19. Chapter 19

"When Callie woke up the following morning the only thing she wanted to do was go back to sleep and continue the dream she was having. She'd expected to have a nightmare - past foster homes, her mother dying, Jude disappearing - all nightmares she'd had before. But instead she'd dreamed of a family - or more specifically _Stef's family_.

Through their time together Stef had talked fondly about each one of them and as a result Callie could practically picture their lives.

She could see Lena curled up on the couch with a book as she read something aloud to her children. She watched Mariana as she twirled in front of her family, making sure that her outfit was just right. Jesus was there too; bouncing a ball and magically managing not to knock anything over. And she could hear a faint melody of a song her mother used to sing to her and she knew that it was Brandon on the piano. Stef was there too of course - a protector, ready to swoop in and shield her family from anything but at the same time making them all feel loved and happy. But the part that made Callie yearn for that dream was the fact that she was there too, along with Jude.

Callie held on to those feelings for as long as she could until it completely faded away and only then did she finally open her eyes. Yes, she was mad at Stef and to a certain extent she didn't trust her but she couldn't just ignore the last few weeks that they'd spent together. Callie had wished so many times to be a part of something so wonderful and Stef, in a small way, had included her. She'd always been there for Callie and she'd never made her feel like she wasn't worth something. She was a cop but she was unlike any cop that Callie had ever met before and she wondered why that wasn't enough to just let go of her anger and hold on to what little she still had left.

That thought plagued Callie through the rest of the morning and just before lunch she finally picked up the hospital phone and the note that Lucy had put neatly beside it and dialled the number. Her heart beat faster and faster with each ring and just as she was about to hang up a voice on the other end said 'Hello'.

* * *

"Are you sure this is not some sort of trick?" Mariana asked again as she walked through the parking lot to the entrance of the mall.

"No." Stef and Lena both smiled. Mariana had been asking the same thing from the time they'd told her their plan that morning.

"So I can just pick anything I want and you're going to buy it for me." Mariana clarified.

"Within reason." Stef nodded.

"A new bikini?" Mariana tested, knowing that her moms already thought that seven swimsuits was already far more than necessary.

"If you want one." Lena answered as they followed Mariana to wherever her wanted to shop.

"Shoes." Mariana continued to list.

"Okay." Stef said, pausing as Mariana checked out a dress in a window.

"A bellybutton ring? Mariana asked, testing to see just how far she could go.

"No." Both moms said together. They had had this argument any number of times already but occasionally Mariana still tried to get them to reconsider.

"Mom has one." Mariana pointed out, as she had several times before.

"And I got it after I was eighteen." Stef reminded her. "If you still want one then, you can get it." She answered, the same way she'd done it before.

"So I still have restrictions." Mariana mumbled as she walked through the isles, browsing and imagining her new wardrobe.

* * *

But just as the moms had expected, when it came time for Mariana to actually pick something to buy, she suddenly didn't like what she saw.

"I thought you wanted that skirt." Lena said as she watched Mariana put it back.

"No, I have one almost the same at home and really, that color just doesn't suit me." Mariana explained.

"Well, what's wrong with the jeans?" Stef questioned as Mariana tossed them on the discard pile.

"They make my hips look huge." Mariana said, trying to make it sound obvious but failing.

"So just the dress?" Stef asked, unable to believe their shopaholic was going to leave the mall with only one item even though they were paying.

"Yeah." Mariana answered. "I like the peach color and I have nothing with a crisscross back like this." She said with a smile, more like the Mariana they knew.

"Well what about the shoes?" Lena questioned. "You said they matched perfectly. The straps matched the dress and the purple looked nice with the peach."

"They weren't comfortable." Mariana answered, her face falling ever so slightly as she gave her excuse. "I'll probably never wear them."

"So just this?" Stef confirmed as Mariana nodded and handed over the dress. "Okay then, why don't you and mama head to the food court and order while I pay for this. Get me a hoagie and coke." She instructed and watched her wife and daughter walk away before walking back to the shoe section to pick up the shoes her daughter had painfully discarded.

* * *

"You do realise that my dinner is completely ruined right." Mariana teased Lena as she dug into the sundae in front of her. It only the second time in her life she'd ordered an ice-cream this big and the first time was soon after she'd come to live with Stef and Lena.

"We'll make up for it with zucchini tomorrow." Lena teased back, knowing just how much Mariana detested the vegetable.

"Ew, please don't ruin this for me." She said, digging deep into the three scoops of ice-cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles, saving the cherry for the end.

"Eat up." Stef ordered playfully as she held out the cup of mint chocolate chip for Lena to share.

"This is amazing." Mariana said with a smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Stef and Lena said as they shared a look, wondering if now was the time to really talk to her. A mutual agreement was all that was needed.

"We have something for you." Stef said as she dug into the bag that held Mariana's dress and pulled out the shoebox.

"What's this?" Mariana asked with a frown though she already seemed to have an idea.

"Open it and see." Lena said with a smile.

The two watched as Mariana looked inside the box and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "The shoes." She whispered in wonder as she looked up at her moms. "Why?" She asked curiously.

"Because." Stef said as if that explained it all.

"I don't deserve this." Mariana replied, the guilt filling her face again.

"Yes you do my love." Stef said sincerely as she pushed the box closer to her daughter as a sign. "You definitely deserve it."

"Honey, we just want our baby back." Lena added. "We miss you begging us for stuff you don't need."

"I can't help it." Mariana admitted. "I just feel so guilty."

"Oh baby." Stef sympathised as she moved closer to Mariana so that she could hold her, indifferent to the fact that they were in the middle of a busy food court. "Baby, please don't keep doing this to yourself love. It's over." She reminded her daughter. "Honey, I'm fine, I'm completely fine and it's over love. You just have to let go of the past and that includes the guilt you feel." Stef said as her own eyes filled with tears at the pain her daughter was feeling.

"But how?" Mariana asked. She too wanted to put it behind her but it seemed impossible. "I nearly lost you. You took us in when we had no one and you loved us and you did everything for us but I still wanted to get to know Ana and I risked so much for that. I nearly lost you and you could have died and even then you still love me." She said, almost as though it was their love that was making it so much harder.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing wrong with wanting to know your birth mother." Stef said with complete understanding. "We do understand that love."

"No, I have you guys now." Mariana said, desperate for them to understand that she loves them and would choose them in a heartbeat.

"You can love us all baby." Stef assured. "Ana is your mother too and wanting to know her and wanting a relationship with her doesn't mean you love us any less."

"Honey, we know you love us." Lena agreed. "Mom got hurt and while it was because she went into that house it was still an accident and it definitely doesn't make us believe that you don't love us."

"I wish I could take it back." Mariana said, her voice filled with regret. "I wish I couldn't go back and do it over."

"What would you do?" Stef questioned curiously, wondering what her daughter really wanted to happen.

"I wouldn't look for Ana." Mariana stated clearly.

"No, be realistic love." Stef encouraged. "What would you do differently, if you could redo the whole thing?"

"I guess I'd wait for social services to get me in touch with Ana." Mariana said, shaking her head at her own stupidity.

"But that wasn't what you wanted." Stef pointed out. "You wanted to really get to know her, not feel like you were being watched all the time.

Mariana shrugged for it was definitely true - she didn't want a conversation that everyone was listening to - she wanted a heart to heart with the woman that brought her into this world.

"What else would you have changed?" Stef continued.

"I guess, I would have just stopped talking to her the minute I realised that all she wanted was money." Mariana said. "Or I would have told you guys when she wouldn't leave me alone or the minute I thought that Jesus had gone back to her house."

"Okay." Stef agreed. "Anything else?" She asked.

"I don't know." Mariana answered honestly. "I don't know what the right decision would have been." She paused for a second as she thought about it. "I guess, I thought I was doing the right thing by giving Jesus a chance to come home without getting into trouble. And when he stopped answering I thought I did the right thing by telling you."

"You did." Stef assured. "You absolutely did the right thing there Mariana." She stated clearly. "You tried to cover for your brother but once you realised that he might actually be in danger, you did something about it. That's just what a good sister does love." Stef said, keeping eye contact with Mariana. "Honey, you yourself just said that you don't know what you'd change because you don't know where things could have gone wrong. None of us will ever know the 'what ifs' love. We just have to live with what's real and we learn from our mistakes. I did, and I will never again try to sort out a problem without the proper equipment and backup. You've learnt that sometimes getting into a little trouble is not as bad as risking your life, yes?" She asked as Mariana nodded in complete agreement. "Okay then, so we've both learnt something from this and we're all absolutely fine so let's put this behind us and just be thankful that we still have each other okay." Stef requested.

"Okay." Mariana said as she hugged Stef tight.

"Okay." Stef accepted. "So can we please have our girl back?" She said as she tucked some hair behind Mariana's ear and held her face gently in her hand. "I really miss your constant chatter."

"You're always telling me to stop talking so much." Mariana smiled at the fact that they were now telling her the opposite.

"Well I got my wish and now I take it back." Stef said playfully. "So, why don't you tell me all the gossip from school, I feel completely out of the loop." She teased dramatically. "What have you and Lexi been up to?"

"Oh Crap, Lexi." Mariana jumped as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "She asked me to pick up something for her while I was here and I forgot to call her back." She tried to unlock her phone and groaned in frustration when she realised that the battery was dead. "Mom, can i use yours please." She asked as she held out her hand for the device.

Stef and Lena shared a bewildered but relieved look at the sudden return of their daughter - their real daughter. They smiled to themselves in amusement as Stef handed over the phone and watched Mariana walking away with a quick assurance over her shoulder that she would be right back.


	20. Chapter 20

"Hello." Mariana said again when no one answered on the other end. "Whatever." She said as she disconnected the call and proceeded to dial Lexi.

Callie gripped the receiver tightly in her hand as she listened to the disconnected tone. Tears slowly poured down her face. It had taken her a lot of courage to make that call and she hadn't even gotten a chance to hear Stef's voice. Just like she thought, Stef had forgotten all about her. She was probably back to her own life and Callie was nothing but a distant memory.

Callie quickly hung up the phone and wiped her face until it was completely dry. She wasn't going to be upset about this; she wasn't going to cry for she always knew that this was how it would end. She decided then and there that she would never again try to contact Stef. That was a part of her past now and she just had to accept it. She would get through these last few days and then go back into the real world where she'd find Jude and maybe the two of them could run away together and disappear where no one would ever find them again.

* * *

"Congratulations, you are once again foster parents." The social worker said on Thursday afternoon as she smiled at the two beaming women before they bid her goodbye and closed the door behind her.

Stef and Lena couldn't contain their excitement as they hugged each other and then turned to hug their kids as well.

"Okay, I'll call Bill right now." Lena said. "The paperwork for Jude should be done so maybe he can be brought here by tomorrow."

"And Callie gets discharged on Monday but we can take Jude to see her on Saturday. She would really like that." Stef announced. She'd been in touch with Lucy over the past two weeks and they were rushing to get Callie's papers together as well. Thankfully Bill already knew the two women and was pulling all kinds of strings to get both children into their care as soon as possible.

Lena moved to the kitchen to make the call and find out just how soon Jude could be brought to their house. The faster they got things started the better chances they had.

"Have you talked to her yet?" Brandon asked his mother curiously.

"No, she never accepted any of the calls." Stef said sounding slightly depressed.

"I'm so sorry mom." Brandon said apologetically. "I didn't realise you hadn't told her. I never would have said anything otherwise."

"No B." Stef stopped him. "This was my fault. I should have been honest with her right from the start." Stef said regretfully. "I left my number for her hoping she'd call when she wasn't so mad anymore but she never did."

Suddenly Mariana's ears perked up. "Wait, she'd have to call from the hospital right?" She questioned.

"I guess." Stef answered. "Why?"

"Well when we went shopping on Tuesday someone called you but they never spoke. I didn't pay much attention to it but do you think it could have been Callie?" Mariana asked, wishing like hell she'd thought to tell her mother about the call.

"It could be." Stef said as she hurriedly pulled her phone out of her pocket and searched back for a call from an unknown number. She clicked on it and waited while it rang.

 _You have reached Sacred Cross Hospital. If you know the extension please dial it now or wait f..."_

Stef hung up as she looked at Mariana. "It must have been her." She said. Her eyes clearly showed just how much she regretted missing this call.

"Can you go down there?" Mariana asked, feeling bad that she'd ignored the call but when no one had answered and no one called back either she'd just thought it was a mistake and then completely forgot about it.

"I can try." Stef said, hoping that this meant that Callie would finally agree to meet her. "I'll go down this evening." She said just as Lena came back into the living room.

"Jude is coming in a couple of hours." Lena announced.

"So soon?" Stef asked in surprise. In all her years working with the system nothing had ever happened that quickly in their favor before.

"Bill said he wants to get him out of there as soon as possible." Lena explained. "He said the place was never right for him and asked if we were ready to take him now and I said yes."

"Okay then, I guess we have an extra kid for dinner tonight." Stef announced.


	21. Chapter 21

Everyone had an image in their mind about what Jude would look like - the moms imagined a young child while the kids all imagined a kid their own age; Jesus imagined a tough, bulky kid while Brandon and Mariana pictured a more timid, gentle child; Stef pictured a little boy that looked just like Callie while Lena imagined a completely new face - so they all had an idea of what Jude would look like but no one was prepared for the kid that showed up just a couple of hours later.

"Two kids at the home beat him up." Bill had explained after introducing Jude to Stef and Lena, handing over both his and Callie's files and then pushing off for some other work.

"Honey, can we get you something to eat or drink?" Stef asked gently as Lena went to get some ice for his face and the kids went upstairs to give them some time to talk.

Jude remained silent as he looked down at his hands, his lip swollen, his cheekbone already turning purple and his forehead finally clotting up.

"You're safe here Jude." Stef said. Her voice was soft and kind but her tone was firm and clear. "No one in this house is ever going to hurt you."

Jude finally looked up at Stef, a frown on his face. "They said you _wanted me_." He stated courageously, confused by the thought.

Stef smiled gently as Lena handed him a napkin with ice. "I'm a friend of Callie's." Stef explained and watched as Jude's face instantly lit up.

"You know where she is?" He asked. Suddenly the little boy was shining through and he instantly won Stef and Lena's hearts.

"I do." Stef answered with a smile. "She's still in hospital but she's doing much better and she comes home on Monday." She explained.

"Here?" Jude questioned, daring to hope.

Stef looked down for a moment, wondering how to answer that exactly. "I hope so." She finally said, resulting in another frown from Jude.

Stef and Lena shared a look. They both knew that this time they had to be completely honest even though both of them were nervous about how the young boy would react. Finally, with a nod of encouragement from Lena, Stef told him their story.

* * *

"Callie never trusts anyone." Jude said once he had heard the whole story. "She tells me not to trust anyone either." He admitted before looking down. "I'm just glad I go out of that home."

"What happened today Jude?" Lena asked. All Bill had told them was that he was beaten but nothing more.

"Two kids." Jude answered. "They're bullies. They hit everyone for no reason." He said, a sadness in his voice. "One of them was my roommate and he was there because he set his house on fire a few years ago and the other one robbed a bank or a CVS or something."

"How old are they?" Lena asked in surprise.

"Sixteen or Seventeen, I think." Jude answered with a shrug.

"And you're twelve?" Lena confirmed.

Jude nodded. "Almost thirteen." He said somewhat proudly.

"How come you were made to share a room with someone so much older than you?" Stef inquired. Most of these homes tended to keep kids of the same age together so that things like this didn't happen.

"They're all that age." Jude answered. "I'm the youngest and the other kids are all over fifteen."

"Then why would they send him to that home?" Lena asked Stef even though neither knew the answer.

Jude didn't say anything even though he had a pretty good idea what the answer was - he was like other boys - he liked _girly_ things. He knew that Stef and Lena were gay so they were probably okay with it but still, he was surprised by this whole encounter.

Both women sensed Jude's hesitation and so they decided to wind things up for tonight. "I'll go start on dinner while Stef tells you about Callie." Lena said, knowing that the boy was dying to find out everything about his sister."

* * *

"So this is Stef's son Brandon, he's the oldest at sixteen." Lena began introducing the kids as they came down for dinner.

"Almost seventeen." Brandon pointed out just as proudly as Jude had earlier.

"And these are the twins, Jesus and Mariana. They just turned fifteen." Stef said.

"Hey Jude, we're excited to have you." Brandon said welcomingly.

"Yeah, I'm super psyched to give up half my room." Jesus teased.

"JESUS." Stef and Lena both reprimanded. They knew Jesus was only joking but they didn't want Jude to feel at all unwelcome.

"I'm kidding." Jesus defended before looking back at Jude. "I am kidding." He confirmed.

"I bet you're excited to see Callie tomorrow." Mariana said with a big smile. She remembered the two nights that she and Jesus had been separated while they were still in foster care. It was only because Jesus had gotten a really bad bug and had to be quarantined so that the other kids didn't get it as well but still Mariana had waited eagerly to be reunited with her brother.

But Jude looked less than enthusiastic as he glanced at Stef for some help with the explanation. They had talked about it while Lena was cooking and Stef had understood Jude's hesitation.

"Actually, we're going to surprise her on Monday when we go pick her up and bring her home." Stef explained, refraining from telling the kids that Jude was reluctant to let Callie see him with his face all beat up.

"Good thinking." Jesus joked. "Maybe then she'll actually forgive you." He said, clueless to the real reasons even though Jude did everything to keep his head down and avoid people seeing his face.

An easy conversation settled as the six of them had dinner. Jude answered whatever he was asked and listened as the others discussed their lives. This was the first home in a long time where the family actually sat down to dinner together and it was nice to feel like part of a family again.

* * *

"Are Mariana and Jesus adopted?" Jude asked as he dried the dishes that Lena was washing. Stef had gone upstairs to call Lucy and the other kids were doing their own thing so Jude offered to help out.

"Yes, we adopted them a few years ago." Lena answered with a smile, glad that Jude felt comfortable enough to start up a conversation.

"And Brandon?" Jude asked curiously.

"Stef used to be married before and they had a son together." Lena explained, knowing that Jude was curious about Stef's sexuality. She could see a small frown on Jude's face and figured he possibly felt a similar confusion that Stef had for so many years.

"It took Stef a while to realize and then finally accept that she was gay." Lena explained further, deciding to clear up Jude's questions without forcing him to ask them.

"Was it hard?" Jude asked, wondering if she felt the same way he did even though he wasn't sure of his own sexuality yet.

"It was." Lena answered truthfully. "Unfortunately her father was never able to really accept it and so she struggled a lot."

"That's sad." Jude sympathized. "I can't imagine your own parents not accepting you." He realized that he'd suffered in the system but at least he always knew that his parents would have loved him no matter what.

"Me neither." Lena agreed. "My parents never once made me feel wrong about who I loved."

"Everyone should be allowed to love whoever they want." Jude commented, unaware that Lena was watching him carefully.

As Lena studied Jude she realized that he wasn't as tainted and harmed by the system as his sister and she was also beginning to realize that the reason for this was Callie and suddenly, just like Stef, even she couldn't waited until they could bring the girl home.


	22. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

This story is almost complete and I'm gonna start another one. **History** will keep continuing in bits and pieces but **Face Value** will not continue for a bit because I'm not quite sure how I want that story to go. I will be starting a new story though and I have way too many requests and ideas that I just don't have the time to get them all down so I have four ideas already in place (in order from most planned out to least) so you guys get to choose which one you'd like to see...

1\. **SEASON 4 -** Season 4 if it were up to me... (I wanted this to actually be up as soon as season three was over but like I said - just no time.

2\. **PUSH -** A new (and intense) sequel to the **Push** series.

3\. **AU -** Another AU about how Stef and Callie meet (though this one is still in the planning stages)

4\. **GIRL NEXT DOOR -** Sequel to **Girl Next Door**... Callie learns to adjust to living with the fosters.

All requests are still in line. I have a couple of one shots and requests that will go up in between stories like I usually do so...

Thanks for reading, thanks a million for the encouragement and reviews. You honestly make me feel like a professional sometimes.

Love,

Junebug (and an almost one year old Bugling)


	23. Chapter 23

"So Jude, Stef and I are going down to the hospital to talk to Callie's doctors about her recovery." Lena explained on Saturday after breakfast. "Brandon's gone to spend the day with his dad but the twins will be here until we get back, is that okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." Jude said. "Are you going to see Callie?" He questioned curiously.

"If she'll let us." Lena answered honestly. The truth was that both women had been at least twice in the last two weeks but Callie had refused to see them. Neither woman would admit it but they hoped that this time would be different since Callie had tried to call Stef.

"If she doesn't, are you still going to bring her here when she's discharged?" Jude asked, wondering what they planned if she put up a fight.

"I'll drag her kicking and screaming if I have to." Stef answered as she entered the living room, having heard Jude's question on her way down the stairs.

Jude smiled at the image and the tiniest part of him hoped it came to that just so he could witness it himself. He'd been in this house exactly eighteen hours and already he felt like a part of the family. Each and every person had made him feel welcome; Stef and Lena had treated him no different from their other children and most importantly, they spoke of Callie like she was a missing part of their puzzle - they already knew the things she liked and didn't, they'd seen her as a fun-loving kid as well as a fierce, aggressive teen and still they wanted her.

"And then you could cuff her to her bed, that would really make her feel better." Jude teased with a smile. He knew Callie didn't like cops; heck, he himself didn't particularly like them, but Stef was definitely different and he wasn't about to let that little detail ruin their chances.

"Great idea." Stef grinned back. "At least it'll be in keeping with her perception of me."

The two smiled as Stef and Lena waved and headed to the hospital leaving Jude and the twins alone.

* * *

"Ever played God of War?" Jesus asked, tossing Jude a remote controller.

"No." Jude answered, studying the buttons on the remote.

"It's awesome." Jesus said as she turned the PS3 on. "There's a dragon with two heads and it's almost impossible to kill him. I tried for a week before I managed to kill him."

"I think the last video game I played was Mario on a gameboy when I was about eight." Jude answered, watching as Jesus flipped through several characters and settings.

"Well I have a few games, you can pick whatever you want." Jesus said, pointing to the stack under the TV.

Jude flipped through them - Mortal Kombat, X-Men, Wolfenstein, Call of Duty and God of War which was lying open and empty on the side.

"Never heard of any of these." Jude said turning to Jesus.

"Let's start with Mortal Kombat." Jesus suggested. "It's practically a kid's game so you should get the hang of it.

Soon Jude and Jesus were taking turns at the game and Jude was getting pretty good. He'd learned his characters special moves and occasionally even beat Jesus.

"Take that you big bully." Jude said as she knocked Jude's character's head off.

"Man, too bad you couldn't do that to the guys who beat you up." Jesus commented as his character lay flat on the ground while Jude's danced euphorically around the screen.

They finally turned off the game and headed upstairs to see what Mariana was doing.

"So, do Stef and Lena treat you any different from Brandon?" Jude found the courage to ask. Now that no one else was at home he decided now was the time to find out as much as he could.

"No." Jesus answered. "We're all their kids."

"So, you never feel less?" Jude asked.

Mariana and Jesus glanced at each other. The truth was that they did and they knew they always would but it was not because of Stef and Lena.

"I guess we do." Mariana began. "But just because we have a past. Our mom was a drug addict who got pregnant after a one night stand. We don't have all the same memories as Brandon but they never made us feel different."

"From the first day we came here they treated us just like family." Jesus added, knowing that it was what worried Jude the most.

"Me too." Jude answered. "We once lived in a home where the family had a biological son. We were only allowed to eat what was left over after the family was done."

A sad silence fell over the three of them as they were all lost in thought. Jude thinking back to his past foster homes and the twins thankful that though they'd had some bad experiences in the system they had gotten lucky.

"Well here you eat at the table with the rest of us." Mariana offered kindly as she smiled at the young boy sitting in front of her.

* * *

"So will the physiotherapist teach us what she needs to do at home?" Stef asked as she spoke to Callie's doctor.

"Yes." The doctor answered. "She will have to go to the therapy twice or thrice a week but continue the exercises at least three times a day at home. That's the only way her leg will truly have a chance to heal."

"And what are her restrictions?" Lena asked, wondering exactly what Callie was allowed and not allowed to do.

"Whatever she can manage comfortably." The doctor replied. There was no hard and fast rule and each patient had to judge for themselves what their injury could bare.

"Well, we're talking about Callie here." Stef pointed out. "If you give her an answer like that she'll toss those crutches aside and run cross country."

The doctor smiled and shook his head. He had to agree with Stef but at the same time he was glad that she had found a way to keep the girl. He'd broken several rules by keeping her up to date with Callie's progress and now that she was her legal guardian, he was more than happy to help her help Callie. "Just make sure she exercises it like the therapist shows you and rests it sufficiently as well." He answered.

The three of them spoke for a few more minutes before the women headed towards the nurses station on Callie's floor hoping that the girl would allow them to visit.


	24. Chapter 24

"NO." Callie snapped at Lucy, her eyes burning with anger.

"Honey, just give them a chance." Lucy suggested gently. "They've come to see you so often and they are constantly asking about you."

"I don't care." Callie said, fighting to keep her tears back. The truth was that she wanted Stef more than anything but she couldn't get over the fact that the one time she'd actually reached out to her, she hadn't been available. Just as Callie had expected, Stef had just gone back to her own life and Callie wasn't about to cling like a leach.

Lucy sighed as she walked back to the waiting room to Stef and Lena. "You have the right to enter you know." She reminded them. "You are her legal guardians now."

Stef and Lena glanced at each other, discussing silently. "We'll wait till Monday." Stef finally said. They made this decision for several reasons - the first being that they wanted Jude there when they did finally tell her she was coming to live with them and second, just in case she was still completely against this plan, they didn't want to give her a chance to hurt herself again or possibly try to run away.

"See you Monday then." Lucy said kindly as she gave Stef a hug. "Take care of yourself." She reminded her.

"Take care of my girl." Stef replied as she looked sadly down the hallway towards Callie's room.

* * *

"So we were thinking movies all day long." Mariana said at dinner on Saturday. "We'll have an early breakfast and then start the marathon and have lunch in front of the TV."

"I bet we could watch at least five movies if we don't stop for anything." Jesus added excitedly.

"I don't know about this." Lena frowned. She definitely did not like the idea of her kids doing absolutely nothing but watch TV all day.

"Come on mama, it's not like we do it every weekend or something." Mariana coaxed. This plan had begun when Jude mentioned that he hadn't seen any of the movies in their collection and as he was going through them found a few he was genuinely interested in and so they decided on a welcome marathon.

"I kind of think it's a good idea." Stef added cautiously. She didn't want to contradict Lena but at the same time she didn't see the harm in a one time thing. "We can do an animation marathon." She suggested with a wink to Jude who smiled shyly back.

Lena placed around at the expectant faces and with a sigh of defeat she nodded. "Okay fine, but if we're going to do this then we're going to do it right." She said as watched as everyone looked at her waiting for her rules. She smiled and added, "We need popcorn and candy otherwise this is going to be a huge fail." She said.

Every face in the room had a wide smile as the kids cheered and finished up their dinner.

"Go get to bed early." Stef shooed them all off. "We have a lot of movie watching to do tomorrow."

And that was exactly how they spent their Sunday - lazing around and watching movies, eating nothing but junk and teasing each other just like a family is supposed to do.

* * *

By nine that night everyone was tired and wanted nothing more than to close their eyes and so each one of them was in their rooms and ready for bed. Stef went around to each room to say goodnight. She found Brandon putting some music away and kissed him goodnight before moving on to the other two boys. Jesus was brushing his teeth but Jude was already getting into bed.

"I hope you had a good time today." Stef smiled down at the boy as she pulled the covers up around him, tucking him in.

"I did, thank you." Jude replied.

"Good." Stef said, satisfied. "Maybe we can do it again soon so that Callie can also join." She said, hoping to give Jude some hope about Callie coming to stay.

They were all anxious about tomorrow for they knew that Callie was not going to accept this arrangement easily. She would put up a fight and do everything in her power to avoid this, not that Stef was about to just give in.

"Her favorite movie was Mulan." Jude stated, knowing that Stef would do almost anything to make Callie feel welcome.

"It's first on the list." Stef smiled as she ruffled the boy's hair and bid him goodnight.

* * *

Last she headed to Mariana's room and found her trying to fit as much as she could into one nightstand so that the other could be given to Callie. Stef sat down on the bed next to her daughter and tugged her hair.

"I know you're not thrilled about having to share your room." She said sympathetically.

"It's fine." Mariana shook her head as she continued to stuff night creams and notebooks into the drawer.

"Honey, remember, you don't have to feel guilty." Stef reminded her. "You aren't indebted to us for anything."

"It's hard." Mariana admitted, finally stopping what she was doing to look at her mother. "Every time I think about what happened I remember how scared I was that you'd send me away."

"Oh honey." Stef sighed, holding Mariana close. "That would hurt me far, far more than getting shot." She said honestly. "Sweetheart, you are no different than B in my eyes or heart. I don't see you as something do send back just because everything isn't perfect all the time."

"Mama didn't feel that way and neither did Brandon." Mariana pointed out sadly, remembering how both of them had looked at her like she was a visitor that had overstayed her welcome.

"Mama was scared love." Stef explained clearly. "She was scared and she was angry but I know for a fact that she never stopped loving you, not for one second. She would have been just as scared and angry had it been Brandon who had done something wrong."

Mariana looked up at her, her eyes filled with doubt at the last statement.

"Babe, parents are human too." Stef said. "Just imagine what she must have been feeling; thinking that she may suddenly be a single mom to three kids. And before you even think it let me tell you that she still wouldn't have sent you away. You are all our babies and nothing changes that ever.

"She was so angry." Mariana recalled. "She could barely look at us."

"Why don't we go talk to her huh?" Stef suggested, hoping that if they actually talked this through then maybe they could all learn to move past it.

The two made their way to the master bedroom and Stef coaxed a reluctant Mariana onto the bed next to Lena who immediately put her book down.

Stef explained Mariana's feeling to Lena who immediately reached for Mariana's hands and held them tight as she urged Mariana to look at her.

"Honey, I was wrong..." Lena began.

But she was cut off. "No, I was so stupid." Mariana said as tears fell down her face. "I wasn't thinking and mom nearly died and..." The sobs took over as Lena pulled her in for a hug, wrapping her arms tight around her and holding on as she cried.

"It was an accident baby." Lena whispered as she rocked them both soothingly. "It was not your fault and I was wrong to make you feel like it was. Yes you made some bad choices but do did I and so did mom. We got lucky that things turned out okay but sweetheart you have to remember that even if mom didn't make it, I would have loved you." She said as she once again forced Mariana to look up at her. "It wouldn't have made me stop loving you and I wouldn't have blamed it on you. We would have learned to go on."

Mariana nodded as she wiped her eyes on her pajama sleeves. "I'm just glad we don't have to learn that." She said as she tried to regulate her breathing.

"Me too." Lena said wholeheartedly as she glanced up at Stef who was watching the two of them. It was only now, after all this, that she began to realize just how much her accident had truly affected her family. She kept thinking that it turned out okay but for the first time she began to understand that, for a certain amount of time at least, her wife and kids believed that their lives were changed forever.

"There is nothing I want more in this world than to grow old with mama and watch you kids grow up and go off into the world, get married and have babies of your own." Stef said nostalgically. "And I promise to do absolutely everything in my power to stay safe so that I have that chance." She assured as she joined in their hug. "I love you all too much to miss out."

The three of them stayed cuddled together for a while until Mariana finally pulled back. "I love you guys." She said. "Thanks for being my moms."

"We love you baby." Her mothers replied as they kissed her goodnight.

"Sleep well love." Stef said as she got under her covers, ready for bed before a new day brought on a whole new set of drama.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Votes are in... Girl Next Door: The Sequel at 26 votes followed by Push: Part Five.


	25. Chapter 25

Monday morning Callie found herself sitting on the edge of her bed kicking her good leg against its side waiting impatiently for her doctor to arrive. Her meager belongings by her side consisted of two spare sets of clothes donated by the hospital's charity fund, a stuffed elephant - also given by the hospital, apparently to every child admitted - and a brace for her knee. Today they would tell her everything she needed to know about taking care of herself while she recovered and then Bill would come and take her to yet another hell hole - a foster home or a group home; juvie would be avoided as long as she was still recovering.

As Callie waited and thought about where her next home would be she couldn't help but dream of a life where her life didn't belong to Bill or CPS or anyone but herself. She imagined getting out of the hospital, finding Jude and running away. They could go to New York - that was a city easy to get lost in. They would find a nice house and live together peacefully. They would go to school during the day and then Callie would get an after school job while Jude helped out with some of the work at home. He could do the laundry and the dishes and then finish his homework until Callie got home and then she'd cook for them and everything would work out fine. Eventually Jude would go off to college and maybe find someone special and settle down. Maybe after all that Callie would find someone as well though she would definitely hold off on that until Jude was completely settled and standing on his own feet.

But unfortunately Callie knew that it was just a dream for even if they did manage to run away and get lost in New York she knew that she would need more than just a minimum wage job if they were to avoid food stamps and soup kitchens so that they stayed hidden. She'd have to make sure that Jude got to school and help him with his homework so that he didn't fall behind. She herself would probably have to drop out of school and definitely need two or even three jobs in order to look after herself and Jude and even that may not be enough. They would need warm clothes in the winter for New York got very cold; Jude would need new shoes soon and she could do with a few new clothes as well and all that cost money - a lot of money - more money than Callie could earn she was sure. Maybe she could work the streets - she'd heard that girls earned a good living that way. How bad could it be?

Callie sighed, knowing that she'd never be able to go through with it; not after Liam. She'd just have to suck it up and stick it out until she aged out of the system and then fight like hell to get custody of Jude. Once it was all legal, hopefully, they could really start to settle down. But unfortunately that was still almost three years away.

* * *

Stef, Lena and the kids drove to the hospital early hoping to have a word with Callie's doctors before he discharged her. Initially Stef, Lena and Jude were to come alone but Stef wanted to talk to Callie before she saw Jude and she didn't want him sitting in the waiting room all alone and so the other kids came along.

Stef and Lena followed Bill towards Callie's room. Both of them were nervous and they held hand tightly for support.

"So where are you dumping me now?" Callie asked as she saw Bill enter, unaware that Stef and Lena were just a step or two behind him. "What are they doing here?" She asked accusingly when they entered the room.

Bill looked at Callie and then at Stef and Lena nervously, knowing that Callie was not going to be happy about this new arrangement.

"We're here to take you home." Stef answered for them all, hoping her voice held more confidence than she felt at that moment.

"Huh?" Callie shook her head in confusion before turning to Bill. "Is this some sort of fucked up joke?" She asked him bluntly.

The two women shared a look, aware that they were in for a lot. This was the Callie that was trying to look tough and unfazed by at all however they already knew the real Callie all too well.

"We are your foster parents." Stef explained, taking a step towards the teen.

"No way." Callie began to shake her head vigorously. "Not happening. Find something else." She instructed Bill. "If you can't find anything, send me to juvie."

Before Bill could respond Stef spoke up. "Could I have a minute alone with her please." She asked and watched as Bill nodded skeptically and then left while Callie's bravado wavered slightly once the man had left.

Lena wasn't sure if she should go as well for she knew that this was between Stef and Callie but she stayed for Stef hadn't asked her to leave at all. And Stef was glad she'd stayed for they were in this together.

"Callie," Stef began as she walked closer to the girl.

"No, go away." Callie shook her head forcefully, determined not to let Stef get to her. It was killing her to say it for this is exactly what she'd dreamed of for weeks on end but now that it was actually happening it was all too much - too frightening and too good to be true.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry that I lied to you." Stef began, ignoring the fact that Callie was now staring at her pillow in order to avoid looking at Stef. "And I'm sorry I wasn't the one who answered the phone when you called."

Callie finally looked up at her in surprise. She didn't think they would know it was her for she never spoke and she never called back.

"I came to see you but you refused to let me in." Stef said, reminding her that she hadn't just disappeared.

"I don't trust you and I don't want you here." Callie stated, attempting to stay strong. It was hard enough asking Stef to leave and having to sit here and listen to everything she was saying was only making it harder.

"Yes, you do, and that's what making you so scared." Stef answered back matter-of-factly as she finally got close enough to actually reach out and touch Callie. "You just need to jump and have a little faith that we'll catch you." She said softly as she gingerly touch the young girl's shoulder.

But the moment contact was made Callie shrugged her off. "I'm not coming to live with you." She said through gritted teeth. "Besides, I have to find Jude." She said as she began to wiggle her way off the bed, grabbing her crutches to help her stand."

"SIT BACK DOWN!" Stef ordered firmly as she caught Callie by the arm and shoved her back into the bed. There was no way in hell she was going to allow Callie to wreck her knee for a second time.

Callie did as she was instructed but mostly because she was so shocked at Stef's tone of voice. In the time that she'd known Stef she'd never once heard her raise her voice like this and for just a second she felt like she had to do exactly what she was told.

"Do not risk hurting your leg again just because you're stubborn and angry." Stef said, hoping that no matter what, Callie would do what was best for herself.

It was only once Callie remained seated and her body relaxed once again that Stef turned to Lena, a silent conversation said that it was time for Jude to make an appearance. With a nod of approval, Lena quietly left the room.

"I'm sorry love." Stef tried one last time as she sat down next to Callie and put an arm around her, despite Callie's obviously discomfort. "I know I hurt you when I kept something from you but I promise you I did not stop thinking about you for one single day. We came every couple of days hoping that you'd see us but we were also busy getting everything ready so that you could come home." She said earnestly.

Callie listened to Stef carefully. It was almost like she was talking to a long, lost daughter who ran away rather than a girl she'd only met a couple of months ago.

"We had to get the house up to standard and then get our license and custody." Stef continued. "We wanted it all ready before you got discharged. We have a therapist lined up for you and Lena's going to get you into school - it's all ready now." She said, hoping that Callie would see that this was the best option for her.

As Callie listened she couldn't help but fell like this was all just a cruel joke. Nothing in her life had ever been that good or that easy. There had to be some other agenda. Stef had to want something from her in exchange for all of this. She began to shake her head as she thought up all the possible ways she's be made to pay for their generosity.

"This is real, love." Stef said, knowing exactly what Callie was thinking. "It's not a trick, it's not a lie." She assured. "It's real and you deserve every bit of it."

Callie looked up at Stef wondering why she deserved it now? All these years she had never gotten even an ounce of good luck so what had suddenly changed?

"I messed up sweetheart, when I left out the fact that I was a cop but I promise you I never meant to hurt you; I would never hurt you." She said, hoping that Callie would see just how much she had grown to love the girl.

A soft knock on the door interrupted them and Callie instantly turned to see who it was. But Stef continued to watch Callie closely. "There's one more thing I haven't told you." She said, slightly apprehensively.

Callie turned back to Stef. She knew it was too good to be true; there was more that Stef was hiding and no matter how amazing someone seemed, over time their true colors always shown through.

"Come in." Stef called and the two of them watched as the door opened slowly.


	26. Chapter 26

Jude pushed open the room door and the moment he set eyes on his sister he ran up to her. "CALLIE!" He yelled with excitement like a little kid, as he flung his arms around her neck and held her tight.

But Callie was too shocked and surprised to respond. It took her a few seconds before she was able to wrap her own arms around her brother and hold him tight as well. "Jude?" She practically asked, still unable to believe he was actually here. A huge smile spread on her face as it all sank in.

"I missed you so much." Jude said, not releasing his grip on his sister. "Bill told me you were in the hospital but no one would tell me how you were doing." He admitted, remembering how afraid he was for her.

"How are you?" Callie asked as she finally managed to release him and hold him at arms length to get a good look at him. "Where did they send you?" She asked, brushing a thumb over the faded purple bruise that was still visible under his eye.

"Group home." Jude answered with a shrug, hoping to downplay his experience there. "They couldn't find me a foster home."

Callie just smiled sadly at her brother and hugged him one more time. Somehow she felt like it would be hard to track him down but he was here, standing in front of her and actually smiling, despite obviously having bad experiences in his group home.

"How did you find him?" Callie asked, finally acknowledging that Stef and Lena were in the room as well. "How did you bring him here?"

But before either of them could answer, Jude began to speak. "They were great." He began animatedly. "They talked to Bill and found me and Lena came to visit me at the home and they were getting permission for me to come visit you here but they needed permission from the group home and Bill and the judge and all kinds of stuff." He said, showing just how much they'd put into all of it. "They are really nice too and they have an amazing house and this huge tree in the back yard and their kids are so much fun. Brandon's kind of boring and only plays the piano but Jesus is so cool. He let me try his skateboard and he even let me play his video games." He said, as he began describing everything he'd done so far.

"How do you know that?" Callie asked in confusion. Sure, they got him permission to visit her but did they take him to their house first? How had he met their kids?

"They're my foster parents now too, until Bill can find us a forever home." He stated with a smile, knowing that it was probably the only thing that would get Callie to reconsider her anger towards Stef. "And they set up a bed for me in Jesus' room and one for you in..." He continued to describe.

But Callie was no longer listening for now all she could do was stare, open-mouthed, at Stef. She was in complete awe of this woman for not only had she befriended and cared for Callie while she was here but she'd kept her promise to come back and on top of all that, they took Jude too. Stef had realized that this was the one way to prove to Callie that she truly meant what she said and Callie was immensely touched by the gesture. And what made it all the more special was that she hadn't done it because they had something to prove or an image they had to maintain; they hadn't done it because Jude was a good kid that deserved a good home - no, they'd done it simply because they cared about her.

"We love you and we're waiting for you." Stef finally said as she watched the change in Callie. She could see that the girl finally believed that they were true and her anger towards Stef was gone.

Callie just stared at Stef as she continued to tune her bother's chatter out. She still couldn't quite believe that this was happening but one thing she did know was that she wasn't going to blow this up over a small, insignificant detail. So what if Stef was a cop - the most important thing was that she was a good to the Jacob siblings and that's all that really mattered.

"Ready to go home love?" Stef finally asked with a soft smile.

Callie nodded once in response, still too choked up to speak. She was more than ready to go home - for however long it lasted.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Okay so the conclusion is really short but I honestly got sadistic joy in leaving you with that last cliffhanger :P. I'm so glad you guys liked this story though. It's my first AU (even though I have a couple I've been working on for a while). Thanks again to meyouthem123 for the idea and request even though she herself writes such amazing stories.

A sequel will be posted soon. I'm still working on the plot so it will be a while. I'm also in the middle of planning my daughter's first birthday (where the hell did the time go?) so that's taking up a lot of my time as well.

In the mean time I'll be posting a few new chapters of History again and a couple of one shots as well.

Thanks again for reading and for the amazing reviews.

Love Junebug (and babybug)

PS: I need name suggestions for the sequel. Something that goes along with the **Girl Next Door** theme. Any suggestions welcome.


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